Recharting the Course
by cojack
Summary: C/7. Set in AU#4 established in fanfiction story "Alternatives." Picks up at the end of that story and follows Captain Chakotay and First Officer Lieutenant Commander Annika Hansen and the uncertain future of the starship Voyager.
1. Decisions

DISCLAIMER: It's Paramount's galaxy.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: C/7. Set in AU#4 established in fanfiction story "Alternatives." Picks up at the end of that story and follows Captain Chakotay and First Officer Lieutenant Commander Annika Hansen and the uncertain future of the starship _Voyager_.

#

RECHARTING THE COURSE

Stardate 57893.2 (AU#4)

# Chapter 1 - Decisions

…

"We are remaining in system and out of sight until we discover the fate of our missing crew members. The Doctor's program is gone and irretrievable. Fortunately, Doctor Kadan has asked to leave with us, and so Chakotay has made him Chief Medical Officer. Seven other non-_Voyager_ personnel have joined the crew, having been married to crew members in the interim, and there are now eighteen children of these and various other unions, including Robert and Ixchell.

"I remain hopeful we will resume our voyage back to the alpha quadrant soon.

"End first officer's log, stardate fifty-seven eight ninety-three point two – Lieutenant Commander Annika Hansen recording."

#

Annika leaned back in her chair and considered her log entry. She had been meaning to begin her First Officer's log for some time with a synopsis of the events that led to them all being back on _Voyager_, but had put it off until now. She was still getting used to the idea of not being who she thought she was for the past three years, let alone to her new position as First Officer. It was midafternoon, ship time, and Ixchell was sleeping in her lap after nursing. She kept her newborn daughter with her for most of the day. Her older son, Robert, spent part of the day in the preschool they had set up on Deck Six. He enjoyed preschool or being babysat by one of the older children. He was particularly fond of Naomi Wildman. Today, however, he was spending the afternoon with Chakotay on the bridge. With so many families and children on board, the dynamics on _Voyager_ were less the formal Star Fleet vessel it was before and more like a community now.

As for being hopeful to resume their voyage back to the alpha quadrant, she had mixed feelings. Their circumstances were now so radically different. Captain Janeway, her mentor who took her from the Collective and helped nurture her humanity and individuality, was dead. She tried to recollect her last conversation with her. It was on Quarra, when they both worked in the energy power plant and she was the efficiency monitor. She didn't even know who Kathryn Janeway was at the time, and they were discussing irregularities with the personnel at the plant. It was then when she and Inspector Yerid went to discover what was going on in Division Six, and Captain Janeway and her friend Jaffen went to the energy plant to try and bring down the shield grid. These were events she only recently remembered. It left her with an empty feeling, of unfinished business that could never be fixed now. As far as they could determine, Captain Janeway and Jaffen had entered the energy plant and something had gone terribly wrong. On that same day, _Voyager_ was captured, the Doctor's program deleted, and several crew members went missing. There were records of B'Elanna Torres, Harry Kim, and Neelix undergoing dysphoria treatment on that day, and Doctor Kaden recalled processing them through his department. After that, however, these three and several others including Tom Paris, Ameila Jenkins, and Vorik, all disappeared. And then there was Lieutenant Commander Tuvok. His Vulcan mind had almost broke through the mind-altering effects of the dysphoria treatment, but in the end he paid for it with his life. Doctor Kaden confirmed there were complications during his subsequent treatment, the same day both she and Chakotay had been treated.

How long Chakotay intended to remain near Quarra was uncertain. As they had settled back into a routine on _Voyager_, he seemed to be reluctant to move on. _Voyager_ remained in a high orbit. Only once did a patrol question _Voyager_'s intent in system. Since most of the crew were either previously registered guest workers or Quarren citizens, there was no trouble. To be on the safe side, only Dr. Kaden's name was kept off the crew manifest, although even he had every right to leave the system. It had been only six months before when Chakotay and Annika had finally achieved their Quarren citizenship.

Annika was in the First Officer's office. Chakotay had used it little, preferring to be out amongst the crew during times he wasn't assigned to the bridge. In recent weeks, Annika had retreated here for at least a couple hours a day to collect her thoughts and be alone with Ixchell. There wasn't much going on anyway, and she was rarely disturbed. It was a small office, but as Annika regarded the space, she idly wondered if a piano could fit along the inner bulkhead. The chime on her door sounded. It took her a moment to realize what it was. "Enter," she called out, and the door immediately slid open.

Lieutenant Commander Joe Carrey stood in the doorway. Joe hesitated halfway inside, and then finally said, "I can't decide whether to call you Annika, or Seven, or Commander. Do you have a minute?"

"Sure Joe, come in," Annika replied and motioned to the empty seat across from her small desk, trying not to disturb Ixchell who was still sleeping in her lap. In truth, she hardly knew what to call herself. Doctor Kaden had removed all her cybernetic implants during their time on Quarra, and so now even with her former memories restored, she was more like who she had become on Quarra than the Borg drone from before.

Joe entered the room, lightly touched the top of Ixchell's head, and then sat heavily into the seat, as if relieved to escape from something. Annika and Chakotay had entertained Joe and Natalie often in their home on Quarra. The four of them had become good friends. Their older children had played together in the energy plant's daycare, and they all attended religious services each week. At least, they used to attend those services. It had been several months since she thought about those former routines.

"How are things in engineering?" Annika asked.

Joe shrugged his shoulders. "We're as ready as we'll ever be. We've used up most of the spare gel-packs, and so now we have to start working on what to do when the remaining ones start failing. Other than that, all systems are back up to specs."

Annika nodded. She already knew that. Not quite all systems, however, since they no longer had any photon torpedoes and the hydroponics gardens were still coming online. The former couldn't be helped and the latter would take a little more time. Regardless, they were ready to go whenever Chakotay gave the word.

Joe shifted in his seat. There was obviously something on his mind. As _Voyager_'s First Officer, Annika had to get used to reading the crew and sensing their mood. She knew Joe well, however, and he was making it obvious. "Do you remember that time we took the maglev to that park on the outskirts of the city?" he said.

"I do. It was a beautiful day. Clear with not a cloud in the sky except over the atmospheric towers."

"Exactly. The kids had a fun time in the park, and we all had a great conversation about our plans for the future…"

Annika remembered. It had been just a few days after she and Chakotay had discovered she was pregnant with Ixchell. What a joyous time. Seemingly limitless possibilities as they considered their future. They planned for a big family. After all, they both had excellent jobs with indications they were in line for citizenship and promotion. She closed her eyes and visualized the place in her mind. The industrial structure of the atmospheric reprocessing plant loomed nearby over the park with the several towers off in the distance, but somehow the outline of these structures were aesthetically pleasing. Was this a remnant of the memory conditioning of the dysphoria treatment? But, as she recalled the city profile in the distance in her mind's eye, she didn't think so. The city was clean and safe, and in a strange way, she missed it.

Annika opened her eyes and considered her friend. He seemed distracted as he too seemed to be recollecting the time in his mind. "What's on your mind Joe?" Annika said, bringing him out of his reverie.

Joe hesitated, shifting again in his seat. Finally he said, "we kind of miss Quarra, despite knowing some of our happiness might have been fabricated. Natalie and I have been giving it a lot of thought. Are we certain we want to resume our trip back to the alpha quadrant? I know life here on Quarra is perhaps not an option. It's changing. With what we know now, it's clear someone in the government has started using the dysphoria treatment to control the opposition. But settling down somewhere, on a world with the earth beneath our feet and the sky above our head. There's something to say for that."

Annika had to admit she had entertained the same thoughts. She and Chakotay had discussed various possibilities, but never seriously considered abandoning their goal of reaching the alpha quadrant. Or was that the reason Chakotay was hesitant to go? "What of Star Fleet?" Annika asked. "At some point, we might get back in touch with Project Pathfinder."

"We've been trying, I know," Joe responded. He looked about the room. "It really requires the Midas array signal from their end off that itinerant pulsar. It's going to be difficult for us to replicate, and perhaps they're no longer broadcasting after being silent for three years."

Annika nodded. The hope was that Project Pathfinder was still active and would reestablish contact at some point, but they couldn't be sure of that. Perhaps _Voyager_ had been finally given up for lost by Star Fleet. Annika recalled the discussions she had with Admiral Paris and Lieutenant Barkley and shook her head. "I don't think they'd give up on us. I believe we'll eventually get back in contact with Star Fleet."

"Perhaps," Joe replied tentatively. "It is still going to take decades to reach the alpha quadrant. Do you think they would object to us settling down on a planet?"

Annika smiled. "Joe, you're the Academy graduate and Star Fleet officer. You tell me."

Joe considered his response. "I think if we had a compelling argument, we could convince Star Fleet that our ongoing operations would be here in the Delta Quadrant, as long as we establish and maintain regular contact. Eventually, ships will be constructed that could come and get us, making our voyage irrelevant."

"It's…," Annika started, but then stopped. Regardless of their circumstances these past few years, Annika too had been… happy. As Joe had said, she also knew that some of those memories had been fabricated and manipulated for her to feel that way, but she couldn't shake the fact that life with Chakotay and her growing family on Quarra had been comfortable and enjoyable. That life was now turned upside down and confused with her memories from before. She made a decision. "Perhaps you're right. Perhaps it's at least time to open the discussion up with the entire crew, and get a feel for what everyone wants."

Joe nodded, a smile growing on his face. "I concur. Our situation has changed, and we need to reassess as a group our future course. I know there are several of us in engineering that would welcome such a discussion."

#

Robert looked up from the paper he was drawing on with color pencils. Still mostly scribbles, but also interspersed circles of various sizes and colors, a talent he had just developed. "Wistal?" he asked with excitement.

Annika reached over and touched his shoulder. "Not today," she said, and Robert returned to his drawing. Had Robert understood their conversation? She turned to Chakotay and raised her eyebrows and Chakotay nodded in return. The two of them were talking about opening up discussions with the crew concerning their future course and had also mentioned the things they had left behind on Quarra. Ixchell was asleep in her crib, and Robert was still up doing one last drawing before bed. He must have overheard them talking about Quarra. Wistal had been his best friend at the energy plant daycare. She was the daughter of a Quarren couple who had recently moved from a different province. Annika had recruited them and found them jobs at the energy plant. Wistal had been their first child as well, and Vandray had been expecting their second when they had left Quarra. Annika realized she missed Vandray as well.

Chakotay motioned for Annika to follow him to the other side of the room. "We have to start watching what we say," he said with a smile when they were out of earshot.

Annika smiled as well and glanced back to their son. He was bright with such a curiosity and already his own personality. It was hard to believe he wasn't even yet three.

"Quarra seems out of the question," Chakotay continued more somberly. "The sweep the Reformists had in the last election, and the decision of the previous Administrator to not seek reelection. It seems clear that an element of the government is using the dysphoria treatment to solidify power. Who knows what's in store as they continue to consolidate and expand."

Annika nodded. "Doctor Kaden suspects the same. When he was removed from his position and had his memories altered, he had just discovered that all his research had been classified and indeed treatment was being consolidated in a government facility."

Chakotay frowned. "It's amazing we were able to reverse the treatment for all of us and escape when we did," he mused. "I suspect as those responsible continue to clamp down, access to the equipment will be cut off."

"There are other nearby planets that might prove suitable," Annika said. "I've asked Icheb in Astrometrics to assemble a list with descriptions. Let's see what the rest of the crew thinks."

Chakotay seemed satisfied. In fact, to Annika he appeared happier than he had been in some time. He turned to look out their quarter's window, the distant globe of Quarra visible below. "I'm also thinking of setting up weekly services here on _Voyager_, as we had on Quarra" he said tentatively.

Annika raised her eyebrows. "Not everyone is as spiritually minded as you, Chakotay," she replied. "And I am certain there are many different religious beliefs amongst the crew."

"That's exactly what it was like on Quarra," Chakotay said. "With such a diverse workforce, species from around the sector, the services we attended were a bit eclectic. There was even that atheist who attended regularly. That's what made them interesting. Many came with views that were different, and even contradictory, but it provided a venue to explore the spiritual side of our nature and also understand the beliefs of our friends and coworkers."

Annika turned to look at her husband. Their conversation reminded her of something that was haunting her. They were so different, her and Chakotay. Would they have gotten together if they hadn't been on Quarra? Was it the alterations in their memories that made their relationship possible in the first place? "Do you suppose we would be married if we hadn't been on Quarra?" she asked. It was a question that had been forming in her mind for weeks now.

Chakotay now turned to face her and look into her eyes. "Yes," he responded confidently. "There is not a doubt in my mind."

"How can you be so sure? We're so very different."

Chakotay reached over and pulled Annika into a hug. "Are you having second thoughts?" he teased.

"No," Annika replied quickly. She had been attracted to Chakotay from even before their experience on Quarra. Indeed, she had been just beginning to construct holodeck programs to explore different social situations before their memories were altered. Those social situations were to include a romantic encounter, and she had decided to use Chakotay as her test subject.

"You forget too," Chakotay continued. "In the dream I had that led us to exposing the alterations in our memories, in most all the different timelines, we were also together."

Annika hugged Chakotay back. They had been married now for three years, and there was no doubt in her mind either. It's just nice hearing it said by your husband from time to time. The two separated a bit and turned to look out the window at Quarra below. From this distance, it looked very much like Earth. Annika's thoughts returned to their previous conversation. She was not convinced about the wisdom of starting the Quarren services on _Voyager_. "In retrospect, it's clear the government was beginning to try and use those gatherings to manipulate the populous," she commented.

"Indeed, but not always successfully. It might be that those service organizations will become the only truly independent entities not controlled by the Quarren government given the current climate."

Annika shrugged her shoulders. "I suppose it's true that our experience on Quarra has reawakened a curiosity of several crew members concerning the beliefs and practices of their ancestors. Joe and Natalie have alluded to researching their Christian roots. Joe was speaking to me the other day about religiously significant events called Marian apparitions."

"Indeed," Chakotay replied with a smile. "Our Lady of Guadalupe."

"That was one of the circumstances he mentioned. You have spoken to him as well?"

"No, but I researched this particular apparition when I was a boy. Mary, who is the mother of the Christian god in human form, Jesus, appeared to an Aztec man who had converted to Christianity in 16th century Mexico."

"I looked up the details in the ship's database. Some fascinating information was recorded about the artifact that is purported to have resulted from those apparitions on Tepeyac hill."

"Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin's tilma. I've actually seen it in Mexico City's Basilica of Guadalupe. "

Annika became intrigued. "And so it has still not deteriorated?"

"Precisely. The tilma should have disintegrated in a very short time, but it still hangs in the Basilica."

"If it had been made from native cactus fibers, as originally thought, it would have lasted only a few decades. The consensus now, however, is that it is made from native hemp, and that material could last centuries."

"Oh," Chakotay replied. "I think I remember hearing about that theory as well. It's been nearly nine centuries now."

"Were you able to hear the fetus' heartbeat, or look into the maiden's eye?"

Chakotay laughed. "No. I don't think tricorders are allowed near it. But I have read some of those curious facts about the tilma. That it remains the constant temperature of a human body, regardless of the surrounding temperature; the apparent images of Juan Diego and those present when the image was revealed reflected in the maiden's eyes; the heartbeat of the infant Jesus in her womb."

"But if they don't allow you to examine the tilma, how can you know if these stories are true or simply fabrications?"

"I imagine the bishop who oversees the Basilica is unconcerned about convincing those who are skeptical."

Annika was disturbed by Chakotay's response. "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence."

"Perhaps. But as with everything, there will always be those who believe without having to see the evidence first hand, and those who will never believe despite all the evidence presented to them. If you have faith in something or against it, you either don't need the proof or disregard the proof."

#

Ixchell cried again.

"Does she need changing?" Chakotay asked groggily with his eyes still closed.

"No, she's just hungry," Annika replied. "You can stay asleep, I'll take care of it." She sat up and got out of bed. Ixchell's crib was right next to them, and Annika reached in and lifted her daughter out and cradled the baby in her arms. Ixchell stopped crying and started searching with her mouth. She obviously was very hungry. Annika turned to say something more to Chakotay, but it was clear he was already back to sleep. Too bad men couldn't nurse infants in the middle of the night. But, biologically, humans had two sexes, and the two were different. It was the mother, like it or not, who lactated and fed a couple's infant.

Annika sleepily stepped over to a nearby chair and sat down. The small night light near the crib provided all the illumination necessary, and so she decided not to bother turning on any other lights. Ixchell latched on quickly, and Annika closed her eyes.

When Annika opened her eyes, the room was bathed with a soft blue glow. In front of her was a Quarren woman who was also nursing an infant. She wore the traditional outerwear of someone from the NorthernPrefecture. She was young, very young, perhaps no more than sixteen Earth years old. She smiled knowingly and turned her head to look at something to her left. Annika followed her gaze and saw her friend Vandray and her family. They were kneeling on the ground with indistinct figures of security officers behind them in the shadows.

"Why have you abandoned us Annika?" Vandray said. She sounded forlorn and her eyes pleaded.

"I have not abandoned you," Annika replied.

"Who are you?" someone else said from the opposite side of the room. Annika turned her head to see who had spoken. She recognized him immediately as Tom Paris. Behind him stood B'Elanna Torres holding the hand of a young child – a half-human/half-Klingon hybrid.

"It's me, Annika," she said.

"I don't know an Annika," he replied. "Quarra is changing. Are you here to help us?" Before she could answer, he, B'Elanna, and the child faded and disappeared, as if the light illuminating them had been turned off.

Annika turned back to Vandray, but instead of her friend, another worker she recognized from the energy power plant was there. He belonged to a species from a nearby Delta Quadrant planet. In fact, a number of his same species worked at the plant. "Who am I?" he asked.

"Employee six-one-one-two," Annika replied, "you work in Receiving. I believe your name is Borell."

"But who am I?" he pleaded again, and then disappeared as Tom and B'Elanna had before.

All that remained was the young woman with her infant. It became apparent that the blue glow emanated from her clothes. In fact, both she and the infant in her arms also glowed softly. She continued to smile lovingly at Annika, exuding peace and comfort.

"They are all my children, my daughter," the young women said. "Do what you can to help them."

Annika blinked, and the vision was gone. Everything was as it was before. Ixchell was asleep in her lap, and their quarters were again dark with only the faint glow of a night light visible near the crib.

#

Author's note: I actually started this story before "Out of New Earth," but a plot never gelled in my mind. I think I might have something now. This "Alternatives" AU is a little different than the previous three I've written because Annika and Chakotay are already married, and so the story can't be about them getting together. Also, they have a 3-year marriage we know little about. In fact, as I thought about it, that three years on Quarra must have affected the entire crew significantly, not knowing who they were and building a new life for themselves (and conditioned to enjoy that life). I wanted to write another chapter or two before I posted this first one, but due to lack of time, I haven't yet written anything more. Perhaps posting this first chapter will get things moving. Hope you enjoy, and reviews/comments are always welcome.


	2. Plans

# Chapter 2 – Plans

Annika closed her eyes as she played the piano on the holodeck. Alexander Iljinsky's Berceuse had been one of the last pieces the Doctor had suggested for her, and it now always brought back memories of him. It was flowing and lovely and the right hand melody seemed to be singing. She also particularly liked the arrangement because it was written in the uncommon key of G-flat major, six flats, all but F, and so most of the composition was played on the piano's black keys. Near the end of the piece, as the right hand melody ascended the keyboard, she idly wondered about the Doctor. If he could see her now - her marriage to Chakotay, her friendships with many of her crewmates, her being the mother of two children - would he be proud of her? She was now so, human…

The piece ended quietly on two arpeggiated chords and the soft pedal. She held the final notes and let them die away gradually, as if being absorbed into the room around her. Eventually, from behind her, someone started clapping. She hadn't programmed an audience, and so she turned quickly to see who it was. Doctor Kaden stood in the shadows near the entrance to the holodeck.

"Forgive me," he said quietly. "I was coming to look for you, and when I heard the music, I was enchanted. I decided not to disturb you."

Annika lifted her hands from the piano and pivoted to face Doctor Kaden. "It is quite alright doctor."

"It was a beautiful composition," he commented.

"Berceuse, a lullaby, by Alexander Iljinsky," Annika replied. "He was a Russian composer from Earth's early twentieth century. This particular arrangement was his most famous and has been used in teaching the piano for centuries."

Kaden stepped forward into the holographic room and examined the piano more closely. There were a few comfortable looking chairs and the windows looked out onto a snow covered evening landscape. A fire crackled in a fireplace on the opposite wall. "I heard talk that you played," Kaden said after his inspection, "but never in public. I feel privileged to have heard you."

Annika shifted uncomfortably under the doctor's praise. "What can I do for you doctor?" she finally asked.

Kaden turned and sat in a chair that was in the corner of the room near the piano. "There's talk amongst the crew," he began. "The meeting the Captain has called that starts within the hour. Rumor is we might be looking for a planet to settle down on."

"The rumor is true, although no definitive decisions have been made. We might still very well decide to continue our journey to the alpha quadrant. Captain Chakotay and I thought it appropriate, however, to involve the entire crew in the deliberations."

Kaden nodded absently and looked about the holographic room again. "There are some who say even Quarra is being considered."

Annika suddenly realized Kaden might be reluctant to return to Quarra. It was possible the government was looking for him because of his knowledge. "There are still _Voyager_ crew members missing," she said. "We will be continuing to investigate here for a while more. As for settling on Quarra, Chakotay and I will not suppress any suggestions or possibilities, but of course we will do nothing that might jeopardize the safety of anyone on the crew. And you are a member of this crew doctor."

Kaden smiled briefly, but then looked down as if embarrassed. "If we did go back to Quarra, we'd have to push for changes in the working conditions, and the use of those inoculations at the energy plant and other facilities. And the government…"

It was true the current conditions on Quarra would be intolerable, particularly the alarming developments concerning the central government and their apparent use of the dysphoria treatment to suppress opposition. "There would be hurdles to overcome no doubt, but perhaps Quarra would benefit from our influence and with our full memories intact."

Kaden sighed. "Veetral," he commented. "Are you familiar with the term?"

Annika recalled hearing of it, but could remember nothing specific other than it was sometimes a topic of discussion during the Quarren services. Chakotay was always the more spiritually minded, even during their three years on Quarra.

"It's a Quarren religious concept," Kaden continued, sensing that Annika didn't know or remember. "A superstition amongst my people. The notion that a supreme being of some sort can divine a person's intent and actions in one part of their life and thus influence their future life. I never gave it much thought until recently. Now, despite reason, I feel as if I won't be able to escape an unpleasant end given my past actions. In a queer way, I would welcome a return to Quarra."

"There are Earth religions that profess a similar concept. Interestingly, I was speaking to a friend about it the other day. Karma, I believe is the term. Not necessarily directed by a supreme being, but the idea of causality and reciprocity in life. There are also Earth religions, however, that teach forgiveness and reconciliation, regardless of past transgressions, if you but ask."

"And which of those concepts do you believe in?"

Annika hesitated. "I cannot profess belief in either concept. I prefer to believe in those things that can be tested and confirmed."

"A non-believer like myself then," Kaden said.

Annika thought some more. "Not exactly. I like to think I keep an open mind. There is much in the universe yet to be adequately explained."

Kaden chuckled. "Indeed. And what of Captain Chakotay? What does he believe?"

"He has deep and personal convictions based on the spiritual beliefs of his ancient tribe on Earth. Even during our time on Quarra, the core of those beliefs remained. They are part of who he is. I have discovered, however, he is quite open to discussing the beliefs of others. I think he feels there is truth in all religions and spiritual beliefs."

Kaden nodded thoughtfully. "Many in the crew aren't happy with me on board," he said matter-of-factly. "If it wasn't for Captain Chakotay giving me his full confidence, I suspect some would seek to throw me out the nearest airlock. The crew respects him and his opinion a great deal."

Annika nodded. Perhaps this is what Doctor Kaden wanted to speak about all along. "The _Voyager_ crew has been through a lot together, and Chakotay has always been there for them. And now, with Captain Janeway gone, they all look to him for guidance."

Kaden now turned to look Annika in the eye. "I asked the Captain why he trusted me, making me Chief Medical Officer. After all, I was the original architect of the mechanism that trapped you all on Quarra three years ago. By all rights, he should have punished me in some way. You all should have punished me. Instead, my presence is tolerated, and I can even say I'm making a few friends. Do you know what he told me when I asked why he trusted me?"

Annika remained silent, but she suspected where he was going.

"He said," Kaden continued, not waiting too long for Annika to reply, "that since _you_ trusted me, that's all he needed to know. It was on _your_ word."

"I do trust you doctor."

"And I swear your trust is not misplaced, but …" Kaden sighed again and turned away. "What have I done to deserve that trust? I used my knowledge of treating dysphoria for personal gain and affected the lives of over a thousand innocent people. There are hundreds still on Quarra that wouldn't be there but for me. Who knows how many more that have now been manipulated using the equipment and procedures I developed."

"I know," Annika replied. "And I also know how much you regret those actions. When you regained your memories, I was there. I _know_. If I didn't believe someone could redeem themselves for past wrongs, where would I be?"

Kaden returned his gaze to Annika and narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Do you remember the cybernetic components you removed from me?"

Kaden nodded. "Of course I remember. It took us a dozen operations to get them all out before your son was born. It stretched our medical knowledge and abilities, and quite frankly, I was surprised we were able to save the child."

"Those components are from a hostile entity known as the Borg. The Borg is a hive mind that operates using humanoid drones as appendages. The Borg increases its number by assimilation. I was a Borg drone for eighteen years. Your victims may be measured in hundreds, but my victims, those individuals, species and worlds I helped assimilate while I was a drone, are measured in billions. This _Voyager_ crew gave me a second chance. They believed I could redeem myself for past wrongs."

A heavy silence enveloped the room. Finally Kaden responded, "I can't imagine you were in control of your actions in the same way I was in control of mine."

"Perhaps, but I do retain the memories. Eighteen years worth of memories now restored again. In a way, the three years on Quarra were the happiest of my life for I didn't carry the burden of those memories."

Kaden remained silent. He wasn't quite sure what to say. Finally, he slowly rose from the seat and extended his right elbow in Annika's direction. "Commander Hansen, your faith in me is appreciated. Would you give me the great honor of escorting you to the Captain's gathering?"

Annika stood and linked her arm in his. The two started for the holodeck entrance, and then Annika hesitated. A sudden thought occurred to her. "Doctor," she said. "You mentioned others you used the dysphoria treatment on. There were a number of Tarlinians working at the energy plant. Borrell in Receiving. Oran in Distribution. Do you recall ever processing a Tarlinian crew through Division Six?"

Kaden lowered his eyes. "A freighter, about six months before _Voyager_," he said solemnly. "Borrell was the ship's captain." Annika could see the pain in his face. "I'm afraid I remember all my victims," he added.

Annika nodded knowingly. "I understand," she whispered.

#

Icheb stood before the assembled _Voyager_ crew in the cargo bay with his hands behind his back. The view behind him shifted and showed holographic projections of six different worlds. "In conclusion," Icheb said returning his gaze to the crew, "I have identified six other M-class worlds within approximately two week's travel from Quarra that could possibly host us as colonists." The first world highlighted and a list of pertinent facts scrolled across the image. "The uninhabited planet about the nearby G8 star called Kyzik in the Quarren star charts is, I believe, the most viable option despite its distance. If we establish the colony in the temperate equatorial zone, the elliptical orbit shouldn't pose a problem with temperature extremes." The next two planets became highlighted on the display. "Of the two worlds which already host pre-warp civilizations, Strom-six is more feasible because of the small and rather isolated concentration of indigenous proto-humanoid inhabitants. Strom-fourteen, on the other hand, has a planet wide population that would be more difficult to avoid but also a generally more agreeable climate." Finally, the last three planets were highlighted. "Of the three worlds with warp-capable species already established, as described in this presentation, I estimate Garloon would be the most accommodating and Tarlin the least, but suggest liaisons be sent to these worlds for further investigation and perhaps opening up of negotiations."

Icheb turned to face the senior staff who were also assembled at the head of the cargo bay on the other side of the holographic projection. Chakotay nodded in satisfaction. Icheb had given a concise and informative briefing accomplished in under fifteen minutes, just as he had requested. Icheb was fitting into his new role as the head of Astrometrics just fine, and Chakotay knew that Annika was pleased as well. Four others completed _Voyager_'s senior staff. In addition to Chakotay and Annika, Joe Carrey, the Chief Engineer, and Doctor Kaden, the Chief Medical Officer stood to their left, and Lieutenants Ayala and Sanghvi stood to their right. Ayala was head of security with Tuvok gone, and Ojal Sanghvi was given a field commission by Chakotay and served as head of operations with Ensign Kim missing. The six of them, who had been listening to Icheb's briefing, turned in unison to face the rest of the crew. Most of _Voyager_'s crew had taken seats assembled in the center of the cargo bay, but a few preferred to remain standing about the periphery. One hundred seven adult crew members were present. The eighteen children were in the mess hall being looked after by the older ones in the group.

"Why isn't Quarra included as a possibility?" someone in the middle of the assembled group asked.

Icheb turned back to the crowd. "I was instructed to provide an informational briefing on the possibly unknown nearby planets for potential habitation. Since Quarra is known by all of us, I chose not to include it in the briefing."

"Is Quarra being considered?" the same person asked. Chakotay now recognized her as Crewman Daniels from Engineering.

"We're considering all possibilities," Chakotay replied. "This includes continuing our voyage to the alpha quadrant, or moving out of this sector altogether to find another world, or even settling on Quarra. We're not making any decisions right now, just simply opening things up for discussion."

Tyren, the Quarren husband of Ensign Smith stood up. "I'm not sure I want to go back to Quarra," he said candidly. "Quite the contrary, I'd like to discuss the possibility of rescuing our friends and family that we left behind."

A murmur of agreement rose within the ranks. Chakotay looked about and nodded. "As you all know, we are committed to continue our investigation into our missing crew members, and don't intend to leave anybody behind. If we do settle on a nearby world, we would have the capability of relocating other Quarren relatives with us. If we leave this sector, however, there is limited space aboard _Voyager_. That is definitely something to take into consideration as we plan for the future."

"What about the Prime Directive?" someone near the back of the crowd asked. "It would seem to preclude all the options, including Quarra, except the uninhabited planet in the Kyzik system."

Chakotay squinted his eyes to see who had spoken, and chuckled to himself when he realized it was Crewman Blackwell. Blackwell always had been interested in Federation law. Everyone again looked back to Chakotay for a response. "You certainly have a valid concern Sam when we consider the two Strom worlds. We could certainly stay hidden from the indigenous population in the near term, but it would be hard for us to guarantee that our descendants would honor the Prime Directive."

A hush fell over the group as Chakotay's statement silenced various whispered conversations. The notion of settling down for good on one of these worlds was finally sinking in. Would they really abandon their voyage to the alpha quadrant to colonize another world?

"As for the other inhabited worlds," Chakotay continued, "they are already warp capable civilizations which have obtained a comparable technological advancement as many Federation worlds." He turned to Annika and the rest of the senior staff. They had discussed this same question before, and were in agreement. "I don't think the Prime Directive applies in this situation. As for Quarra, many of us are still Quarren citizens, and the rest hold valid guest worker permits."

"Then how can we sit by and watch Quarra fall?" someone shouted. "The government is taking over everything. They're overspending well beyond the budget and squandering our resources!"

Murmurs again started within the assembled group.

"As I said," Chakotay responded. "We will be remaining in the Quarren system for the time being…"

"We don't want to get involved." another interrupted. "They media is sympathetic. They control the planetary grid and defense forces."

"They control minds for God's sake…"

The last comment sparked more animated and louder discussions. Chakotay looked to his senior staff in alarm. The topic again had circled back to Quarra. Obviously it hit a nerve for many. Not only were there several Quarrens now on _Voyager_'s crew, the memories from Quarra over the past three years were still fresh in everyone else's minds.

"It's our civic duty." "If they can control minds…" "We have a starship to back us up..."

Chakotay waited for the discussions to settle down, but the talking only seemed to get louder. Finally he raised his hands over his head and said loudly to be heard over the din, "everybody, quiet please. This is not an argument."

The crew immediately quieted down and returned their attention to Chakotay.

"It's clear we all have… concerns. Everyone's opinion will be heard and respected. You've seen Icheb's briefing. You know the options. Perhaps there's another option we haven't yet thought of. We're not going anywhere for a while, so you're job now is to discuss this with each other and provide inputs to your section heads."

Chakotay was pleased to see several nods from the assembled crew. He sensed it wasn't going to be easy. As Captain, however, ultimately the decision on what to do would fall to him. Right now, emotions were running high, and there definitely wasn't a consensus. The most important thing he got from the meeting was the revelation of how much Quarra seemed to be on everyone's mind. Some plans had to be made.

"Dismissed," Chakotay said, but turned quickly and looked at each of the senior staff with him. "Not any of you. Follow me to my ready room."

#

The doors to the Captain's ready room slid shut and the six member's of _Voyager_'s senior staff took their seats. Not wasting any time, Chakotay turned to his Chief Medical Officer, "doctor, is there any way we can protect ourselves from further memory tampering?"

Kaden shook his head. "Not that I know of. There are certain drugs that can temporarily disrupt the procedure, and others that make the process too dangerous to carry out. For the most part, those can be screened for and then it's only a matter of waiting for the drugs to exit the system before proceeding."

"I'd like for you to start researching ways to block the memory altering. Perhaps those drugs can be modified in some way."

Kaden looked dubious, but nodded.

Next, Chakotay turned to his head of security, "Ayala, what's the current status of the search for our people?"

Lieutenant Ayala frowned. "We're checking the archives in some of the smaller cities, but as we look beyond the industrial centers, it's less likely any guest workers would be present."

Chakotay glanced to Annika, and then back to the group. "I'm thinking we should change our strategy and start searching other areas."

"What do you have in mind?" Ayala asked.

"The NorthernPrefecture," Chakotay said bluntly. He looked back to Annika to see her turn to him with her eyes wide and a question on her face. He wished he had talked to her before dropping that bombshell, but after seeing the raw emotions on display in the cargo bay, he felt the time was ripe for action. Annika's vision had been playing in his mind ever since she had woken him that night to describe the experience. During the discussion after Icheb's briefing, it occurred to him the possible significance of the maiden's dress. Unusual, even on Quarra.

Doctor Kaden shook his head. "There are no cities within the NorthernPrefecture that could host guest workers with the skills of _Voyager_'s missing crew members. It's mostly farms and wilderness."

"We're already looking in the smaller cities. It's unlikely for them to be there as well," Chakotay countered.

Kaden wasn't convinced. "At least there's a chance they may have found work in the smaller cities. In the Northern Prefecture?" Kaden shook his head again.

"Why the Northern Prefecture?" Ojal asked. "There are other prefectures that are closer to the CapitalCity where most of us ended up."

"Annika's vision," Joe said with a smile. "You believe the maiden's clothing is a message within the vision?"

"Perhaps," Chakotay responded, his suspicions revealed. Joe and Natalie had heard about the vision the night before when it was a topic of discussion during dinner.

Ojal looked about the table confused. "What vision are you referring to?" she finally asked turning to Annika. The rest also turned to Annika. Chakotay had a guilty look on his face and was relieved when Annika glanced at him out of the corner of her eyes with a smirk.

Annika sighed. "It was the other night. I was nursing Ixchell at about two in the morning and must have fallen asleep. I assume I started dreaming. What I saw was a young Quarren women in the traditional clothing of the NorthernPrefecture also nursing a small infant."

"Did she speak to you?" Ojal asked.

"At first no. She looked to one side, and I saw a Quarren friend of mine and her family. My friend asked me why I had abandoned her. Next, I saw Tom Paris and B'Elanna Torres and presumably their child. He didn't recognize me, but asked if I was there to help him. Finally, I saw someone who works in the energy plant, a Tarlinian named Borell. He pleaded with me to tell him who he was."

Kaden looked up sharply at the mention of Borell's name.

"I remember Borell," Ojal said, clearly intrigued. "I worked with him in Receiving."

Annika nodded.

"But this was just a dream," Ayala said. "Are we now basing our search priorities on a dream?"

"Yes, but not just that," Chakotay said. "While Annika and I visit the NorthernPrefecture, I would like Joe and Natalie to talk with Annika's friend Vandray, and Ojal to see if we can get Borell to pay a visit with Doctor Kaden and perhaps get his memory restored. I think the two of them may hold key information that we can use." Chakotay turned to Kaden and added, "Doctor, I assume you can reproduce the dysphoria equipment here on _Voyager_ to conduct the reverse procedure."

Doctor Kaden nodded absently. "How did you know Borell's memory was altered by Division Six?"

"A hunch," Chakotay said with a smile. "The equipment doctor?"

"I think I can replicate the needed items and have something working in a couple days."

"It was a dream," Ayala said again. "What if it was only random thoughts assembled in Commander Hansen's subconscious? These could be educated guesses that have come to her in the form of a dream. This could all be wasted effort."

"That of course is a possibility," Chakotay confessed, "but you forget, Annika and I had only my dream of meeting myself from other universes to go on when we ended up revealing our altered memories. Perhaps that was manufactured by my subconscious as well, but it proved to be of critical importance. I'm betting Annika's vision was something more than just a dream as well."

"Do you suspect the source of Annika's vision was the same as yours Captain?" Ojal asked.

Chakotay shrugged. "Perhaps. I don't know. Does it matter?"

"It may indicate there is an alien and unknown entity that is using these visions to influence our actions," Ojal replied. "Perhaps this entity can only communicate with us through dreams. If this is the case, it would be important to ascertain the alien's motives."

Chakotay recalled his experience with the chaotic space aliens, which communicated with him in an altered state of reality where he was the 'Maquis Mauler' in a fighting ring. His experience with his alternative selves a few months before was quite different, and yet could possibly be a means of communication. A way of relaying key information that enabled Annika and him to reveal the truth about their past lives. The many vision quests he had experienced were different still. These too often relayed vital truths. There was much that could be explained, but also much more in the universe that remained a mystery still.

"Why just an alien entity," Joe Carrey offered. "Why not a message from a divine source?"

"From God?" Kaden asked incredulously. "Forgive me, but I don't think it's necessary to invoke superstitions and the supernatural when plausible natural explanations exist."

Ojal turned to Annika. "What do you think Commander?" she asked. "Did you recognize the woman in your vision?"

"I think…" Annika started, but then appeared to change her mind. "No, I did not recognize the woman."

"Whatever the source of Annika's vision, I've made my decision. Again, I feel time is of the essence. Ayala, you'll be in command during our absence. Doctor, prepare sickbay to treat Borell. Ojal, query arriving spacecraft to the Quarren system and arrange a transport for us down to the planet's surface. We'll use our Quarren identification and find what we will find."

#

Author's note: Thank you scifiromance, Djsmith, lizzy74656, and Alastar Boneman for your reviews of Chapter 1. Trying to make this one different than the others. What _will_ they find?


	3. Findings on Quarra

# Chapter 3 – Findings on Quarra

Lieutenant Ojal Sanghvi sat at a table in the corner of the local eatery near CapitalCity's energy plant. The day shift was just letting out and she observed everyone who came into the establishment. She was wearing a Quarren robe with hood, a little out of season, but the hood shadowed her features and she hoped she wouldn't be recognized. Not yet, anyway. Ojal knew many of the workers entering, having worked with them for the past three years. Some of them were her friends, or at least used to be.

Ojal leaned forward and sipped a cup of tea, a Quarren blend she was fond of and had not yet been able to duplicate in _Voyager_'s replicator system. Drinking tea had always made her vaguely nostalgic during her time on Quarra, but she never knew why. Now, with all her memories fully restored, she understood. Times from her childhood in Udaipur and drinking tea with her father who had been a professor at a local university intermingled with more recent memories from Quarra. That's how the brain established long term memories, by related new memories to previous experiences and intertwining them for easier recall. The sights and smells within the eatery brought back so many memories, in fact, that she almost missed him when he finally entered the establishment.

Fortunately, he came in with no one else.

"Borrell," Ojal called out. He stopped and looked about. His blue skin and hairless head were much like the Bolians on _Voyager_, but with a prominent cranial extension where the Bolian heads were so round and spherical. When his eyes shifted in her direction, Ojal waved for him to take the seat across from her. Borrell hesitated, obviously curious but cautious. He seemed suspicious and reluctant to come over, an underlying feeling she sensed among all on Quarra now. Had it always been like this and she just didn't see, or was it something else? Ojal glanced about and noticed that no one else was looking in her direction, and so she pulled the hood off revealing her head and face.

Borrell's eyes widened and then he hurried over to Ojal's table and took a seat. "Ojal?" he said in disbelief. "You reappear as suddenly as you disappeared nearly three months ago."

"I found other work," Ojal said simply, and placed the hood back over her head.

"Indeed," Borrell snorted. "You and nearly a hundred others at the plant. All on the same day! What is this new job of yours?"

"Off world," she replied. "On a starship."

"I thought you once told me you hated being in space."

That was true, but not exactly. She did prefer living on a world; natural gravity and unfiltered air. A world offered so much more than the confines of a starship. The city on Earth where she was born was a dynamic center of intellectual thought, noted for its education centers, but also for its beauty. Her feelings had been manipulated and intensified by the dysphoria treatment. In fact, many of those on _Voyager_ had experienced a similar conditioning. Obviously, the Division Six cabal had wanted the workers to stay on Quarra and be happy, and so an aversion to space travel was a natural memory to implant.

"I was made an offer I couldn't refuse," Ojal finally said.

"There have been many questions asked about that day, but no one knows the answers," Borrell commented.

"How did the energy plant manage?"

Borrell shook his head. "It was chaos," he said and turned to catch the eye of the server who was lingering nearby. "Could you bring me some winter nectar?" The server nodded and walked away. Borrell turned back to Ojal. "It was the beginning of the end. There were some limited power outages within the city and the government used it as an excuse to take over management of the city state's energy grid. You know how ever since the new administrator entered office he's been touting the benefits of a more centralized government control."

Ojal nodded absently. Her eyes glanced about the establishment. Borrell's comment about questions being asked touched off warning bells in her mind. "That was quick," Ojal finally remarked. "I would think the opposition wouldn't allow a government takeover, or the energy corporations wouldn't give up control so easily."

Borrell shrugged. "What opposition? The political factions can't seem to agree on anything. Past Administrator Garret, who you would think should lead or at least inspire the opposition, seems to support the new initiatives. Upper management in the energy corporations as well. Most energy producers in city states planet wide have been subsumed into the government's new energy department during the last couple of months."

Ojal detected a hint of uncertainty in Borrell's voice. He didn't seem happy with these developments. "There's been no resistance?" she asked.

"Some, but for the most part, there's been overwhelming support. It's being lauded by the media as a tremendous victory for the Administrator."

"And even the workers haven't complained?"

"Are you kidding," Borrell laughed, "the workers celebrated. We were all given an increase in pay and more generous benefits. All government workers have, it's not just the energy department that is expanding."

That was odd. "How can the government afford such a thing?" Ojal remarked.

Borrell looked at her queerly. "The Council of Delegates suspended the budget a year ago, you remember that. The Council is now dominated by a group who call themselves Reformists. They vote in a block, and do the will of the Administrator. They gave authority to the Administrator to spend above the revenue ceiling during emergencies."

Ojal did remember. There was talk of unrest at the time in some city states on the Southern Periphery. Demands levied to increase the pace of infrastructure improvements. The new Administrator suggested dramatic changes, one to allow for emergency spending powers. If she recalled, past Administrator Garret was silent, and only a few leaders from various factions objected to the plans. The opposition was demonized in the media, and those who had swept into power during the last election in the Council, the so-called Reformists, voted in favor of the Administrator's proposals. Ojal hadn't paid too much attention to it back then, but now it seemed clear that the memory altering capability of the dysphoria treatment was being used to shape opinions both within the government and without. With an unrestrained budgetary power, the current Administrator could purchase the loyalty of the populous with increased pay and benefits, and that populous was becoming more and more dependent on the central government. Unfortunately, it was of course unsustainable and threatened to undermine the very things that Quarrens prided themselves in.

"Where have you been Ojal?" Borrell asked, interrupting her thoughts.

Ojal shifted uncomfortably. "Off world," she repeated. "I haven't been keeping up with the news."

Borrell snorted and eyed her for a long moment. Again, she couldn't tell if he was suspicious or curious. "Tell me about this new job of yours," he finally said.

"Better yet, if you're interested, I could show you."

"I might be," he said softly. There was a gleam in Borrell's eyes, but again he hesitated. Just then, the server returned and placed Borrell's drink on the table. As she did, she gave a long look towards Ojal before turning and moving off. Ojal was disquieted by the stare and watched her go. Had the server recognized her? The eatery had filled up considerably and now there was quite a crowd. In fact, it made Ojal feel a little claustrophobic.

Borrell turned to see what Ojal was looking at. They both saw the server get the attention of a security officer who was standing at the bar and motioned back towards their table.

"It's time to go," Ojal remarked. "I think you will want to see what I have to show you."

"Are you in some sort of trouble?"

The security guard was looking down at a pad he held in his hand. If they had any hope of slipping away, they would have to act quickly. Ojal stood. "Follow me," she said and moved towards the door, hoping Borrell would follow. She kept a steady pace and left the establishment. With luck, she could blend into the crowd. As she neared a corner that led to the pedestrian causeway, she heard some heavy footfalls behind her.

"You," someone called out. "Stop!"

Ojal turned the corner and started to run. The causeway was crowded, and she had to dodge between people walking back to their homes or out for a meal. She tried to remember this part of the city. The lights on the causeway were just flickering on as evening darkened. She needed to find an out of the way place. The sound of her footfalls reverberated, but she could hear the noises of someone following close behind her. Ojal lifted her arm and spoke into the palm of her hand. "_Voyager_, prepare for an emergency beam out."

"Understood," came Ayala's response in the auditory implant in her ear. The communicator embedded in her palm would act as a pattern enhancer for the transporter to lock onto her signal through the Quarren security shield. In retrospect, she should have simply beamed out with Borrell at the first sign of trouble. She chastised herself in frustration. Captain Chakotay will not be pleased, and this on her first away mission as Chief of Operations.

Up ahead the causeway split with a less traveled branch leading down to the river. It was perfect. At this time of day it would be nearly deserted and she could beam out undetected. It was a large enough area that security would be looking for quite some time and suspect she simply had vanished into the city. A hundred meters down the branch she turned quickly into a dimly lit passage and stopped to catch her breath.

She lifted her hand up just as someone else turned the corner. She turned in a panic only to see Borrell panting in front of her.

"You are fast," he managed to say.

"Are we being followed?"

"The security officer in the eatery stopped to call for reinforcements," Borrell replied. "But they'll be here soon enough. Let's go see that starship of yours."

Ojal smiled and placed one hand on Borrell's shoulder and spoke into her other hand. "Ayala, two to beam up directly to sick bay."

The two of them vanished in a transporter beam, and the teams of Quarren security officers who swept the waterfront that evening were left with a mystery.

#

It was evening and Joe and Natalie Carrey walked along the causeway that led to the energy plant's worker housing. The day shift had ended long ago, and the causeway was mostly empty of foot traffic. They had lingered by the spaceport for most of the day after being dropped off with the rest of their group from _Voyager_ by a Garloon trading vessel. For a small price, they had all hitched a ride to the surface past the Quarren security shield which made transporting in from orbit impossible. They had chosen this time specifically to venture forth so they would minimize the possibility of running into someone they knew; having also been warned by Lieutenant Sanghvi that security was possibly looking for the _Voyager_ crew. At the end of the causeway, the two of them turned a corner and nearly bumped into a security patrol.

The two security officers seemed distracted, but smiled and nodded. "An early curfew tonight folks," they said. "Better start heading home."

Natalie nodded back but didn't make eye contact. "Just heading that way right now officer," she said. The officers continued on their way and started across the causeway away from the housing. Joe and Natalie moved on quickly.

The access into the energy plant's worker housing was also empty, it being apparently so close to curfew. On the second level, they both instinctively started down the main corridor, but quickly stopped. That was the way to their old apartment.

"It would be fun to take a look inside if we could," Natalie mused.

"I wonder who might be living there now?" Joe responded, and then pointed back to the exterior stairs. "Annika said Vandray's apartment is one more flight up."

Natalie laughed. "We went to her apartment for dinner with Annika and Chakotay a year or so ago. I remember."

"Oh?" Joe said and looked up the stairs.

The two of them reached Vandray's apartment door and knocked. Inside, they heard a door slam shut and some whispered voices. Joe turned to his wife and raised his eyebrows before knocking again. The door opened a crack.

"Vandray?" Natalie said. "You might not remember me, but I'm one of Annika Hansen's friends, Natalie Carrey. My husband Joe and I came over to dinner here once with Annika and Chakotay."

The door opened a little more. "Annika's friend?" a female voice asked slowly. "Where is Annika?"

Joe and Natalie exchanged a quick glance. "She's not here. We all found employment off world on a starship currently in orbit about Quarra."

"You all left so suddenly," Vandray said, opening the door more fully and finally coming out into the light of the hallway. Inside, the room was dark.

Joe looked up and down the hallway. "We're visiting and didn't realize there was an earlier curfew. I know this is an imposition, but could we come inside and talk?"

"Why do you want to talk?" Vandray said, suddenly becoming nervous.

"Annika," Joe began, but then hesitated. What to say? Talk about Annika's vision? No, but perhaps allude to the message within the vision. "Annika thought that you might be in trouble and wanted us to check up on you."

"Get them inside quickly," someone within the room said curtly. Arms reached out from behind Vandray and grabbed both Natalie and Joe and pulled them into the apartment. The door closed and they were in total darkness for a moment, and then a light in the corner was turned on.

Besides Vandray, three Quarren men stood about. Two of them held stun pistols, both aimed toward Joe and Natalie.

"Put those away, these are friends of Annika," Vandray insisted, and stepped between the men and Joe and Natalie.

"We haven't seen nor heard from Annika in three months," the third man in the room, the one without a pistol, complained. "And now they show up here on tonight of all nights?" The man turned to Joe and Natalie. "Why are you here?"

Joe looked at Vandray and then back to the man. "I've told you, Vandray's friend Annika had a premonition that she might need help, and Annika asked us to check in on her."

The man appeared unconvinced.

"Who are you?" Natalie asked the man. She didn't recognize him as Vandray's husband.

"This is my brother," Vandray replied instead. "Vilnia."

Joe nodded in recognition. "I remember now," he said. "We spoke of your brother. He was a politician, representing one of the other city states on the Council."

"I'm still on the Council," Vilnia spat, "whatever good that is now. They voted themselves into irrelevance."

Natalie looked about the room. There were two bedrooms off the main living area. The layout of the apartment was precisely the same as Joe and Natalie's old apartment. The door to the main bedroom was closed, but the door to the second bedroom was open and dark inside. "Vandray, where is your husband and the children?"

"They're not here," Vandray replied, clearly relieved. "They are all visiting my husband's parents for a few days."

"And so what now," Vilnia said, obviously still hostile. "If we say everything is just fine, do you both leave? It's nearly curfew. Where are you staying? You won't be able to get back to the space port to return to your starship."

Joe and Natalie looked back and forth to the other two men still holding the stun pistols, as if to say they didn't believe that everything was just fine. The pistols weren't exactly aimed in their direction after Vandray's retort, but not put away either.

"Perhaps they can help," Vandray said, turning to her brother.

"Just like that? They come in off the causeway and you're willing to trust them?"

"Annika was… is one of my best friends," Vandray replied. "I trust her, and so yes, just like that, I trust them." She turned to Joe and Natalie and smiled. "I do remember you coming to dinner. It was an enjoyable evening."

Vilnia shook his head. "This is getting out of control," he finally said. "I simply wanted answers, but now I'm afraid it's gone too far."

"You're not any closer to an answer, and you've been at it all day. What do you propose to do now?"

Vilnia turned and looked long at his sister, and then motioned to the other two with a nod of his head towards the bedroom. "You might as well go back to him," he said. "Make sure he's comfortable."

The two men left, entered the bedroom, and closed the door behind them.

"Tell me, Joe and Natalie Carrey," Vilnia began, starting to pace the room. "Do you find the recent actions of the government strange?"

"To what do you refer?" Joe responded.

"To what do I refer?" Vilnia shouted. He stood with his mouth open, his hand grasping his head in disbelief.

Natalie had a sudden inspiration. "If you refer to the remarkable results of the last election, the strange silence of any opposition, and the apparent inevitability of the current direction of events, perhaps we can help you get some answers."

Vilnia's mouth remained open, but the expression on his face changed from frustration to interest. "Strange silence of the opposition indeed," he finally remarked. He again looked at his sister, and then nodded as if making up his mind. "I have someone for you to meet. He is my mentor, and a guest in this home. Let us see if you can get the answers I seek."

Vilnia moved off to the bedroom, and the rest followed. He opened the door and stepped aside to let Joe and Natalie through. Inside, the two men they had met before stood to the side of a man seated in a chair, as if waiting for his orders. The man turned and smiled. Although he didn't appear to be restrained, he held his arms and legs as if he was unable to move from the chair. Joe and Natalie both immediately recognized him. He was an older Quarren native with graying hair, but of course everyone on Quarra and within the sector would have recognized him. He had been in the public spotlight for the past five years.

Before them sat Garret, the former Administrator of Quarra.

#

The expansive fields of grain and flax crops outside of CanyonCity were long gone and the maglev was now gaining altitude and passing through the Never Summer Wilderness Region and southern portion of the NorthernPrefecture. CanyonCity's business district had been the last stop before heading out into the wild lands. The bridge over the canyon in which the maglev traveled had been an engineering marvel, made all the more impressive with the rising sun illuminating the red canyon walls. The track was now enclosed and elevated as to not disturb the migration of the hoofed beasts that populated the wilderness area. Quarrens were quite proud of their history of conservation and sustainability of planetary resources, a full seventy percent of Quarra's land area was left or restored to its original state. Chakotay glanced out the window and estimated it would be another half hour or so until the maglev crested the mountain range before them. Their destination was the end of this particular maglev line. They would arrive at about noon; eighteen hours after their trip began.

Quarra was divided into forty-two City States, each surrounding a large urban area from which the state was named. The City States included regions devoted to farmland and pastures that supplied the required food, and atmospheric reprocessing plants to clean the polluted air the cities produced. Beyond and between the City States were the less populated Prefectures. These areas had no urban centers and were generally wilderness or hosted specialized and isolated industry. There were seasonal workers, depending on the prefecture, although some people, mostly descendents of the original inhabitants, chose to live in the prefectures year round on small self sufficient ranches or farms. The NorthernPrefecture was one of the most isolated and sparsely populated on the planet. Perhaps because of that, their dress and manner were quite distinctive and harkened back to earlier days on Quarra. And connecting the CityStates and Prefectures was the extensive maglev system.

Chakotay stroked Robert's hair as his son lay in his lap. The boy had slept poorly during the night, wide-eyed during the start of the journey through the expansive CapitalCity. With the impressive display of lights, he had been just too excited to sleep. The family had spent much of the day in the maglev station, leaving the CapitalCity just after dark on the only scheduled maglev with a car headed to the NorthernPrefecture. Since they were traveling such a distance, Chakotay and Annika had decided it wouldn't raise as much suspicion if they took their children. If asked, they could say they were on a much needed vacation. They had replicated some camping gear to take along to give credence to their ruse, and for a place to stay if indeed they didn't immediately find what they were looking for. As it turned out, their precautions may have made the difference. Security screening at the maglev station was extensive, much different than just three months ago. Their citizenship papers were checked twice, but eventually they were allowed to proceed with no problem.

After breakfast, Robert was now taking a mid morning nap to make up for the lack of sleep the night before. When they reached the summit of the mountains, however, Chakotay planned to wake him so he could see the spectacular views. Chakotay had often read about this journey while living on Quarra, it being a popular vacation destination in the summer months. It was late in the season, however, and the single maglev car was essentially deserted.

Annika sat in the seat across from him holding Ixchell. Annika caught Chakotay's eyes and then looked behind him. Chakotay understood she was motioning to the only other occupant of their particular maglev car. He had gotten on with them in the CapitalCity and appeared to be heading to the NorthernPrefecture as well. In a whispered conversation during the night, Annika had wondered if the man was indeed following them, saying that she had caught him glancing over in their direction many times. Of course, with so few people left on the maglev, that's not necessarily suspicious, but Chakotay was wary nonetheless for he trusted Annika's instincts. Indeed, they had received a disturbing report from Lieutenant Sanghvi soon after they entered the maglev.

"We packed thermals for the children?" Chakotay asked, wanting to break the silence. "It might get cold tonight."

"Of course," Annika replied with a smile. "We'll be quite warm."

Chakotay glanced again out the window. The wilderness stretched to the horizon. "Quite impressive," he commented. "I've always wanted to see these northern forests." He thought about his choice of words, and shook his head. It was of course more a feeling from the time on Quarra than from his entire lifetime. He looked back at Annika and added honestly, "it's been some time since we've gone on vacation."

"Over a year, from before I was pregnant with Ixchell," Annika replied. "We took Robert to the seashore and went sailing."

Chakotay smiled. That had been a wonderful time. They used up all their leave to make the trip, and a bit of their savings as well, but it had been well worth it. In fact, as he thought more about it, their trip to the seashore had been just about nine months before Ixchell was born. Chakotay refocused his attention on Annika, and she smiled back bouncing Ixchell on her lap, seeming to know precisely what he was thinking about.

Most of their memories as a couple were from before their return to _Voyager_, a much simpler time. Chakotay nodded to himself. It was good they were getting out together to make some new memories now, even though it was under much different circumstances. He reached over and touched Annika's knee. Again, she seemed to understand his thoughts.

The rest of the journey was uneventful, but both of them tried to feel more at ease and make it more like a vacation. Talking freely with each other and the children about their past adventures on Quarra and enjoying the sites. They didn't know what they would find in the NorthernPrefecture. It could very well be the trip would turn out to be a family camping vacation after all. Robert did enjoy the high mountain pass. Even Ixcell cooed at the sight of the snow covered peaks, cliffs and the journey above the clouds.

They finally arrived at End, the small hamlet where the maglev station was located, just before noon. Chakotay and Annika stepped out onto the platform, each holding one of their children in one hand and a pack in the other. The maglev station was outside, and the air was much chillier than when they left due to the both higher latitude and altitude. They were in a large wooded basin surrounded by distant snow covered peaks on all sides. The station was deserted and there were only a dozen or so buildings in the immediate vicinity. Their intention was to find a nearby campsite and have one of them look about the area before dark. According to the guide Chakotay had purchased, campsites were scattered within the woods south of town. Chakotay motioned for Annika to follow him into the waiting area so they could change and prepare for a hike to the campsite.

As they started looking through their pack for warmer clothing, the man from the maglev also entered the waiting area. Both Chakotay and Annika immediately noticed his entrance, but attempted to ignore his presence. The man looked about, but no one else was in the vicinity. He moved towards Chakotay and Annika and pulled out a pad from his pocket.

"Mister and Missus Hansen?" he said while showing the badge attached to his pad.

"Yes?" Chakotay responded evenly. His hand twitched. He knew he could have them all beamed out by Ayala in a matter of seconds, but didn't want to have wasted the whole trip without at least looking about the area. He was going to at least try to talk his way out of this.

"I'm afraid you are all going to have to accompany me back to CapitalCity," the officer said.

"You've got to be kidding," Chakotay replied. "For what purpose?" Chakotay scanned the room and wondered if there were any cameras monitoring the area.

"A warrant was finally issued earlier today to bring you back for questioning," the man replied. "If you will please follow…" The officer stopped mid sentence with a confused expression. He looked at both Chakotay and Annika as if seeing them for the first time, opened his mouth to speak, but then closed his eyes and slowly crumpled to the floor.

Immediately, two people wearing hooded robes moved out from behind some lockers at one end of the waiting area.

"Take him to the maglev," one of them whispered to the other, his voice scratchy. The other person bent down and picked up the security officer and moved towards the door.

The first person stopped and took a long look at Chakotay and his family. The robe covered his features from head to toe, and inside the hood of the robe his face was covered with a scarf.

"Amal Kotay," the man said thoughtfully. "You are now made up to appear human. I suppose you were sent here to find us."

The voice was scratchier than Chakotay remembered, but familiar enough. Chakotay knew this person. Before he could speak, however, the man lifted his right arm and revealed some sort of device in his hand. Chakotay's thoughts became confused. Darkness in his vision appeared about the periphery and started to obscure his view.

"Get the baby and the boy, and don't let her hit her head when she falls," he heard someone say as if from a great distance.

The baby? Chakotay closed his eyes. "Annika?" he said softly, but didn't hear a reply. It felt as if his ears were plugged, and his head felt thick. Darkness. Silence. Floating. He was alone in blackness now, his senses deadened. A thought entered his mind and formed into a question…

Who was he?

#

Author's note: Please review and comment. Thanks again scifiromance, lizzy74656, and Alastar Boneman for your reviews of the last chapter. They are greatly appreciated. This turned into a long chapter (mostly C/7 in next chapter I promise).


	4. Sanctuary

# Chapter 4 – Sanctuary

"Do you remember your name?" a man with a scratchy voice asked.

Another man in a chair, whom the first was addressing, thought carefully. He had just opened his eyes, trying to focus on the things around him. He was in a room with two others. The space was relatively small and the windows were blacked out. "I…" he began tentatively, but stopped when he realized he didn't know the answer. How could that be? It felt as if the memory was dancing just out of reach.

"It's too soon," the other one said. She was female. The same species as the first. The man in the chair vaguely recognized her voice. A shadow of a memory. There was also something about her that reminded him of something, but he couldn't remember what. "He needs to sleep it off," she added, clearly concerned.

"There's no time," the first one replied. He sounded irritated. "There's an unscheduled maglev on the way."

"Annika?" the man in the chair interrupted with concern. There was some sort of danger. "Ixchell? Robert?" The names came to him but he couldn't associate them with faces. He wasn't quite sure who they were, but he should have done something. It was his fault.

"They're fine," Scratchy Voice said. Something about this voice too was familiar. "You remember?"

"I…" the man in the chair began again, but faltered. So much, just out of reach.

"You are Amal Kotay," Scratchy Voice finished for him.

The man in the chair shook his head slightly. That didn't sound right.

Scratchy Voice turned to his companion. "Can you give him another shot?"

"No," she said firmly. "That's enough. We'll just have to wait until the effects of the stunner wear off."

"Chakotay," the man in the chair finally said. Another name revealed in his mind, although there was still a little uncertainty in his voice.

"Amal Kotay?"

"No, Chakotay. My name is Chakotay."

Scratchy Voice lifted some items from a nearby table. "Your identification papers list you as Chakotay Hansen, a Quarren citizen." Scratchy Voice looked up and smiled. "Congratulations. I first met you, however, as Amal Kotay. What am I to believe?"

Hansen. It was a name he recently acquired. Annika Hansen, his wife. Of course, now he remembered. They were on Quarra. They worked in the energy plant in CapitalCity… No, not anymore…

"Your wife is Annika Hansen," Scratchy Voice continued, as if reading his thoughts. "She has changed, just as you have changed, but I remember her as well. I had a run in with her when I first arrived here on Quarra. Seems I wasn't efficient enough. You have two children, Robert, almost three years old, and Ixchell, just under four months old."

The children! "Where are they?"

Scratchy Voice motioned to the door behind him. "Next door, sleeping off the effects of the stunner." He must have seen the horror on Chakotay's face, for he added, "the children weren't stunned, they're just sleeping. Your wife needs a few hours, and then she'll be fine. You should really have a few more hours yourself, but I need answers."

"Tom Paris," Chakotay said, recognition finally clicking into place. It was getting easier now, as if curtains were being raised in his mind, and memories that lay hidden suddenly revealed. But other curtains remained closed.

Tom turned with a start and looked at Chakotay. He placed the items he held in his hand carefully back on the table. "So you remember me as well."

"I do," Chakotay replied. "I remember all of you." Chakotay turned to the woman in the room and narrowed his eyes. "Amelia Jenkins," he finally said, another bit of memory taking hold. Chakotay looked at her more closely and discovered what it was she reminded him of. "You are pregnant?"

Amelia nodded. "Nearly six months." It was now her turn to examine Chakotay more closely. "Are you human?"

"Yes," Chakotay replied. "Just like you and Tom." He looked about the small room again. Some light penetrated scratched off parts on the window indicating it was still light outside. Other details appeared sharper now as his mind cleared. "Where are we?"

Amelia turned to Tom uncertain.

"You said you remember all of us," Tom said, starting to pace the room. "What do you mean?"

"We've been searching for you," Chakotay replied. "You, B'Elanna, Amelia, Harry, Vorik, others who've been missing."

"I knew it. What do you mean by 'we'?" Tom replied. "What part of the government do you work for?"

The government? Did he mean the Federation? But no, perhaps he means the government here on Quarra. "No," Chakotay said, another memory fitting into place. "Not the government. We're from _Voyager_."

Tom flinched at the mention of the word and whirled around again to look at Chakotay. "Ah _Voyager_, " he replied. "I wondered if that would come up. A whole crew abducted and Kathryn Janeway captain. I heard all about _Voyager_, the day before she and Jaffen were killed."

"_Voyager_ is our ship," Chakotay said. "Mine and yours. Janeway was captain and I was her first officer."

"How convenient," Tom said sarcastically. "I suppose now _you're_ the captain."

"It's true. Our memories of before our arrival on Quarra were manipulated. Many of you know of Earth, but remember it being crowded and lacking opportunities for employment. You only have a vague notion of where Earth is located, but in fact it's a great distance away in another quadrant of the Galaxy. You probably think you don't like space travel. Annika and I and most of the others only recently discovered our memories had been tampered with and recovered our ship and our true lives."

"Have our memories been erased?" Amelia asked, clearly interested.

"No," Chakotay replied. "Suppressed. New memories implanted. Some memories unaffected. But our memories have since been restored. There are ways of getting it all back."

"How is all this possible?" Tom interjected.

"Some sort of sophisticated stunner?" Amelia offered.

"A medical treatment," Chakotay said, his head clearing with each passing moment. The words wouldn't come at first, but then as he thought of Doctor Kaden he added, "A treatment for dysphoria syndrome, through the main hospital in CapitalCity, Division Six."

Amelia turned to Tom placing her hand on his shoulder. "Tom, that would explain some things," she said cryptically.

"_Ayala to Captain Chakotay_."

The new voice startled Chakotay and he looked back and forth between Tom and Amelia. It was evident neither had heard it. Ayala… Of course, on _Voyager_. Communications from the implant in his ear could only be heard by him. Yet another memory clicked into place. Chakotay lifted his hand up to his face to rub his chin and whispered, "Annika and the children?"

"_I have a transporter lock on all four of you as I have since your departure from Voyager. I've been attempting to reach you and Commander Hansen for the past hour. Ships from the planet are on an intercept course to Voyager and we'll have to break orbit within the next five minutes to avoid a confrontation. I was just about to transport you all back if I couldn't establish contact. What is your status?"_

Chakotay looked at Tom and then spoke directly into his hand not trying to hide the communication. "Tom Paris and Amelia Jenkins are standing right in front of me. I suspect there are others from _Voyager_ nearby. Can you beam up everyone in the immediate vicinity?"

Tom looked alarmed and took a step backwards.

"_Negative. We're too distant and aren't able to approach the planet. We can transport only the four of you and those in contact with you._"

"Who are you talking to?" Tom asked. He had produced the stunner and it was aimed at Chakotay.

Chakotay showed the palm of his right hand. "Lieutenant Ayala on _Voyager_," Chakotay replied. "I have a sub-dermal transmitter and transporter enhancer embedded in my hand and a receiver in my ear. If we can assemble your group in the next five minutes, I can prove to you what I'm saying is the truth. I can get you all back to _Voyager_."

Amelia stepped over to Tom and pushed his arm down to aim the stunner at the floor. "Tom, this is what you always said would happen one day. Harry would tell you the same thing. There's a maglev full of government security on its way. Do you trust them or Chakotay?"

"Neither," Tom shouted. "They could be one in the same!"

"Tom, we have little time," Chakotay said. "Let's assemble your group."

Tom shook his head. "Your story is too incredible to believe."

"Tom that's not true," Amelia countered. "You've had the same suspicions. How do you explain what happened three years ago?"

"We're running out of time," Chakotay cut it. "Call your people together."

"It's not possible in five minutes."

"_We have less than four minutes_."

Chakotay thought for a moment, and then made a decision. He lifted his hand back up to ensure a clear transmission. "Ayala, beam up Annika and the children…"

Tom quickly stepped forward to Chakotay to interrupt. "Don't do it." The stunner was by his side. It was a request and not a threat.

"_Captain_?"

"Belay that order," Chakotay said and turned to Tom.

Tom swallowed hard, as if making a decision himself. "A team of a dozen security are on their way in a maglev. The planetary grid is obviously monitoring this location. Any transport will alert them to your transporter frequency. Even if your family gets through, planetary security will be able to block any future transports."

Chakotay grimaced. "Ayala, are Joe and Natalie back on _Voyager_ yet?"

"_A while ago, with Administrator Garrett who's been wanting to speak to you_. _Doctor Kaden has come up with something and wants to speak with you as well._"

Chakotay nodded. "Good. All that will have to wait though. Break orbit and protect the ship. We're staying here with the missing group from _Voyager_. Return for us when you can. We'll be ready."

"_Sir_?"

"Those are your orders. The ship is yours."

"_Understood. Ayala out_."

Chakotay lowered his hand and looked at both Tom and Amelia. "When _Voyager_ comes back for us, we have to all be together. It's time to assemble your group and prepare for the arrival of those security officers."

#

Annika opened her eyes and looked about. Chakotay was leaning over her where she lay, and she immediately reached up and embraced him. "The children?" she asked.

"They're right here and safe," Chakotay replied. "We must leave immediately, are you OK to travel?"

"Yes." Annika shifted back to sit up straight and looked about for the first time. A group of people stood around her, all in Quarren robes of the NorthernPrefecture, with packs and ready for travel. Chakotay was dressed as the others, and she recognized most of them. Tom Paris stood next to B'Elanna Torres. B'Elanna was holding Ixchell, and beside her stood a small girl she recognized from her vision, obviously B'Elanna's daughter, and standing beside her was Robert. On the other side was someone she knew as one of _Voyager_'s night shift pilots, Amelia Jenkins if she recalled correctly. Next to her were two Quarrens she didn't immediately recognize, although there was something familiar about the male. "Explain," Annika said and moved to stand up. She felt dizzy and Chakotay grabbed her arm to help steady herself.

"Careful," Chakotay said. "You're recovering from a stunner."

Annika shot a look at Tom and leaned into her husband to regain her balance. "How long have I been unconscious?"

"About six hours," Chakotay replied. "There's a maglev full of security officers about two hours away from End. Most of the group here has already left and will rendezvous with us by tomorrow morning. All of _Voyager_'s missing except Vorik are now accounted for."

Annika looked around again and then reached towards B'Elanna to get Ixchell. B'Elanna shook her head. "I'll hold your daughter until you get steady on your feet."

"Thank you," Annika said and then turned to Chakotay. "What's our plan?"

Tom stepped forward holding a robe and Annika's pack. "We have some places in the wilderness prepared for just this sort of thing," he said. "It's a bit of a hike, but we can get much of the way tonight in the cover of darkness."

Six hours. That would make it just about sunset. Annika took the robe from Tom and put it on over her head. "Won't we be followed?"

"Perhaps," Tom replied. "The other groups have left in different directions for a diversion. We have the young children and will take a more direct route. With luck, they'll take time searching End, and when they don't find us, will wait until morning to track us. By then we'll be too far ahead and be able to reach the sanctuary safely."

"The sanctuary?" Annika asked dubiously.

B'Elanna intervened. "Let's get started. I'll walk with you and answer all your questions." There was softness in her voice, very much different than her memories of B'Elanna from before.

Annika nodded. "That is acceptable." She took the pack and placed it on her back, but then grabbed Chakotay's arm again. She still felt a little dizzy but didn't want to advertise it to the rest of the group. Chakotay would be walking beside her as well.

Tom came over, picked up B'Elanna's daughter and turned to Chakotay. "Carry your son to start out," he said and then made his way towards the door. "I don't want any tracks that might indicate there are children with us. They know you've brought yours."

Chakotay picked up Robert, who was eager to be held, and everyone followed Tom outside. The Quarren couple had two children of their own, who had been hiding behind their robes, and so there were twelve of them total in the group. The Sun hung low on the horizon to the west bathing the trees in an orange glow. They followed a main street through the center of the group of houses clustered about the maglev station towards the south end of town. At the end of the street, the pavement ended and they immediately entered the woods at the edge of the Never Summer Wilderness. The path was wide and well worn, obviously a main trail into the wilderness.

Tom, carrying B'Elanna's daughter, moved out ahead of the rest. Annika guessed that perhaps he was scouting ahead to make sure they didn't meet up with any other late season hikers on their way out of End.

"He's so good with her," B'Elanna commented. Her eyes lingered for a moment on the back of Tom as he headed up the trail, and then turned to Annika. "I don't know what I'd have done without him."

"The two of you are married," Annika stated.

"Yes," B'Elanna smiled, taking it to be a question. "Soon after we arrived here in the NorthernPrefecture. He treats Miral as if she was his own, but I don't know who her real father is."

Annika glanced to Chakotay who raised his eyebrows in response.

"B'Elanna," Annika said, turning back to face her. "Tom is Miral's father."

"What do you mean?"

"The two of you were married before your arrival to the NorthernPrefecture, on _Voyager_."

B'Elanna shook her head. "Tom briefly explained to me what you claim. I'm still getting used to this idea of an entire life that I don't remember. How is it possible?"

"I could attempt to tell you details to try and convince you," Annika ventured, "but I understand your suspicions. When your memories are restored, it will be disorienting. But I assure you, the two of you were married and Miral is both Tom and your daughter. Interestingly, I was actually the one who first discovered the two of you had conceived."

B'Elanna looked up the trail again, but Tom had disappeared out of sight. "I don't like the thought of not being able to trust my memory."

"It is, disquieting," Annika commented. "Rest assured, when we return to _Voyager_, we will be able to restore all of your memories."

The new knowledge of Tom and their daughter was enough for now. B'Elanna smiled widely, and Annika could only guess what she was thinking. Ixchell wriggled in B'Elanna's arms and stretched, bringing her attention back to those around her. Ixchell snuggled back into the nook of B'Elanna's arm, not yet finished with her nap. B'Elanna turned to Annika and winked. Annika couldn't help but notice the peace and gratitude B'Elanna beamed, something she had never seen before, particularly aimed at her. B'Elanna seemed much more casual and relaxed than Annika remembered.

"In fact, you and Tom were the first couple to marry on _Voyager_," Chakotay added. "It was a happy day."

"If your story is to be believed, that was after nearly seven years in the delta quadrant," B'Elanna said. "I'm surprised we were the first. What of all the others? What of the two of you? Why is it that you didn't marry first? You seem so perfect together."

Chakotay was still close enough to Annika to wrap his arm around her waist and hug her to bring her a little closer. It made Annika loose her balance for a moment, and she stumbled for a step before recovering and shot Chakotay an irritated look.

"Perhaps there was the beginning of a romance," Annika blushed. She of course had confessed to Chakotay about her social programs on the holodeck and the fact that a facsimile of him was the subject of her experiments in romance. Surprisingly, in return, Chakotay had told her of several instances where he attempted to initiate a closer friendship with her. That time on _Voyager_ seemed like a lifetime ago. It was hard to separate out her feelings for Chakotay now to really remember how it was like to not love him.

"Were we good friends?" B'Elanna questioned. "On _Voyager_?"

Annika hesitated. She did remember her relationship with B'Elanna on _Voyager_ before Quarra clearly. It had been one of perhaps mutual respect, but strained at best. If all went well, B'Elanna herself would remember, and for whatever reason it made Annika a little sad. Seeing B'Elanna holding her daughter, and the short time they had been together now, made her understand the emptiness of not having and sustaining true friendships with other members of the _Voyager_ crew back then. "We were… friends," Annika finally said and elbowed Chakotay in the ribs to keep him quiet. She then motioned ahead towards Amelia who was walking at the head of the remaining group to change the subject. "What of Amelia? Who is the father of her child?"

"Oh, Harry," B'Elanna responded. "He and Yerid alternate working in CanyonCity at the maglev. It gives us an opportunity to check on who's coming up. It's how we knew you were coming and being followed by that security officer."

"Harry Kim?" Chakotay said.

B'Elanna nodded.

"How is Harry going to make it to the sanctuary?" Annika said.

"He has an old personal air vehicle on the outskirts of CanyonCity that he and Tom refurbished for just this situation. Tom has this talent for understanding and restoring obsolete technology. Harry will be able to get there undetected. He might even get there before us."

Annika understood. Air travel had ceased on Quarra decades ago with the completion of the maglev system. It had been too costly to maintain the needed infrastructure for traffic control. Besides, the planetary shield grid prohibited such travel at the required altitudes, but this personal craft must stay well below those limits.

"How did you end up here in the NorthernPrefecture anyway?" Chakotay asked.

"It was all Tom's doing," B'Elanna said and smiled at the recollection. "When I was released from the hospital, he scooped me up and set out for the furthest spot he could find away from CapitalCity. Harry, Ravoc, Yerid, and Neelix had been with me in the hospital, and somehow Tom convinced them all to come as well. He can be very persuasive. The others all worked at atmospheric processing and most were on some sort of list Tom had seen. There were others he wanted to contact, but the government was closely watching that facility and employee housing, and so we just got out as fast as we could and didn't look back."

"Tom doesn't trust the government?" Chakotay asked.

B'Elanna laughed. "Sometimes Tom doesn't trust anybody."

"Which facility, the energy plant?" Annika inquired.

B'Elanna nodded. "Exactly."

Annika glanced at Chakotay and nodded knowingly. Inspector Yerid she remembered, and now she also knew why she remembered the Quarren in their small group. "Doctor Ravoc, did he not work at the hospital with Doctor Kaden?"

"I don't know," B'Elanna responded. "You should ask him. He was more than happy to get out of the city with his family. Said he had been thinking about it for a long time. It's funny, but Yerid said almost the same thing at the time."

Of course. They had both been given the dysphoria treatment as well. Annika had seen Ravoc on the table before she and Yerid had been fired on and overpowered by that Quarren security guard who had burst in. Later, Chakotay and she had been released together separately, and so Tom didn't have a chance of contacting them before heading off with his small group to the NorthernPrefecture.

They continued their hike into the wilderness. They had left the main trail earlier, and now it was too narrow to walk side by side. Tom and Miral were still several hundred meters ahead. They had sometimes caught sight of him, but now it was getting too dark. Amelia set the pace for the rest of the group. Annika walked behind B'Elanna and in front of Chakotay. Ixchell stirred again and let out a cry. B'Elanna stopped and turned to Annika. The two exchanged a smile as B'Elanna handed Ixchell to Annika.

The Quarren sun had set a half hour before, and the twilight glow was fading. In the thick stand of evergreens in which they were hiking, it was getting a little too dark to follow the trail. Annika was just about to mention this to her companions, when a small light flickered on in front of her illuminating Amelia's feet.

"I think we should start using our lights," Amelia said. "We're far enough away from End. Use the lowest setting."

Annika wasn't quite sure where her light was in her pack, but Chakotay's light suddenly came on and she turned to see that Chakotay was holding another light. He switched Annika's light on and put the strap over her head. It was actually a headlamp, which would keep her hands free to hold Ixchell. Chakotay did the same with his light, and then picked up Robert again.

"Quite an adventure, huh?" Chakotay remarked with a smile.

Annika smiled back. Always the optimist, it was obvious Chakotay was enjoying himself. Despite the danger, the fact that he and her children were there with her gave her a sense of comfort. She discovered surprisingly that she was enjoying herself as well. Ixchell let out another cry. She was hungry.

Amelia, sensing this, turned back to the rest of the group, "let's take a short break here so Annika can nurse her baby and the rest of us can drink some water. Not too long, for we still have a way to go."

The group continued like this for the rest of the night. The night grew colder, but the Quarren robes, designed for this climate, kept them warm. Twice Tom came back and redirected their path to avoid coming close to other groups in the wilderness. At about midnight, one of Quarra's moons rose, and so when it got high enough, they were able to extinguish their head lamps and continue in the moon's glow.

Soon after sunrise, they approached a clearing and Tom and Miral were waiting. As they got closer, Annika realized there was someone else with Tom, staying towards the edge of the opening in the forest. At first, the newcomer looked to be Quarren, but soon enough it became apparent that he was in fact Harry Kim. Annika noted there was something odd in the manner that Tom and Harry were looking at them.

Tom stood and motioned for B'Elanna and the others to get behind him, but held up his hand to Chakotay and Annika. "You haven't been honest with us," he said.

"What do you mean?" Chakotay replied. "I have told you everything."

"What of Doctor Kaden?" Tom said. "Is he on board _Voyager_?"

Chakotay nodded. "Yes. He is our Chief Medical Officer."

Tom glanced over to Harry. Harry took this as his cue, and addressed the group for the first time. "Just before I left the city, the government instituted emergency protocols. Strict curfews in all the city states and prefectures and restrictions on maglev use. The planetary defense fleet has apparently been dispatched to protect Quarra from an invading force led by a star ship they referred to as _Voyager_. It was claimed that on _Voyager_, a renegade Quarren doctor has perfected a means of mind control and intends on using this to overthrow the government. They identified him as Doctor Kaden from Capital City. There's evidence that Administrator Garret has been abducted and is being held on _Voyager_. The suspicion is, his mind will be altered by Doctor Kaden to oppose the current administration and instigate unrest."

"We have only been interested in locating your group and returning to _Voyager_," Chakotay protested. Annika realized, however, there were those on _Voyager_ who would advocate a change in power on Quarra, and so perhaps much of the government's statement was true. Chakotay had told her during the night that Ayala had mentioned Joe and Natalie bringing Administrator Garrett aboard _Voyager_.

"The evidence they presented was quite specific," Harry continued, ignoring Chakotay's interruption. "Doctor Kaden first led a small cabal who commandeered vessels and manipulated the memories of their crews to use them as workers on Quarra. _Voyager_ was one of those vessels. There were several witnesses produced who corroborated the government's assertions."

"Some of that is true," Chakotay replied. "But it was others who took control of Doctor Kaden's procedure and used it against him. They've now used it to seize power in the government."

"On the contrary," Harry said. "The government claims it is _Voyager_ that is now using Doctor Kaden and his procedure in an attempt to corrupt and conquer Quarra, or perhaps Doctor Kaden is continuing to manipulate the _Voyager_ crew."

Tom shook his head. "Was Doctor Kaden the one who led this cabal?"

"Yes," Chakotay replied. "But…"

Tom held up his hand. "And you admit this Doctor Kaden is aboard _Voyager_?"

"He is on _Voyager_, but the government is not telling you the complete truth."

"Doctor Kaden is truly sorry for his past actions and is helping us now," Annika added. Her eyes met B'Elanna's, briefly and she couldn't help noticing the look of disappointment in the other. This small group had lived much of the past three years in isolation and suspicion, and there was a definite mistrust that exuded from everyone towards Chakotay and herself.

Tom chuckled. "Helping you indeed," he said and sighed heavily. "We had to leave anyway I guess."

Amelia looked about. "Who do we trust now?" she asked.

Annika was about to reply, but stopped when she noticed Tom holding his stunner casually aimed in their general direction, a look of confusion and concern etched over his face. "We continue to the sanctuary," Tom finally said. "Blindfold them for now. We'll decide what to do with them when we meet up with everyone else."

#

Author's note: Concerning Chakotay's name: the only time I recall "Amal Kotay" being used in the series was in the two-part episode "Workforce" which this fanfiction refers to, and only because he needed an alias when going down to Quarra in disguise. I've always thought Chakotay simply had a single name, and so it seemed natural he would take Annika's family name when they married.

I toyed with the idea of having Tom and Amelia married (with their memories manipulated, who knows what might have happened!), but decided against it in the end. As in the episode, it's nice that Tom was protective of B'Elanna and her unborn child even without his memories intact. Instead, I tried to keep a feeling of "oh no!" at the start teasing at the possibility of Tom and Amelia being together.

Amelia Jenkins did appear in the show as a minor character (see "Warhead"), although her first name is a creation in The Cheshire Cheese's C/7 story "Bargaining Chips" (I agree that she indeed _is_ Amelia).

Anywho, it's been progressing slowly, but things should be coming to a head in the next two chapters as we learn more about Administrator Garrett and what Doctor Kaden has discovered. It's nice mixing things up a bit and having this story develop a little differently than the other Alternatives stories. After that, I'm thinking there's another two chapters to tie things up and conclude (so, eight chapters total). Thanks to those who've read the story up to this point, but particularly to those who have favorite/followed or left reviews! As you may know by experience, those do help motivate the writing of future chapters…


	5. Forgiveness and Sacrifice

# Chapter 5 – Forgiveness and Sacrifice

Lieutenant Ojal Sanghvi followed Lieutenant Ayala down the corridor. Ayala moved with a purpose and other crew members parted and stood aside to give them a wide berth. Ayala wasn't used to command, but he had told Ojal just that morning how thankful he was the _Voyager_ crew worked so well together and recognized his authority. It made the command that much easier. Ojal and Ayala were coming from Astrometrics where they left Administrator Garrett and his two body guards. Garrett had been devouring information from the Federation database and requested an inspection of the ship. He was particularly interested in the capabilities of the Astrometrics lab. Ayala planned to return quickly, but there was something else that demanded their attention. The doors to sickbay opened and Ayala and Ojal stepped through.

"Doctor, report," Ayala barked, even before the doors closed behind them.

"The serum is ready," Kaden said without looking up. "Once everyone is inoculated, we can deal with the radiation effects of the Quarren mines. We'll have to continue inoculations for a week or so afterwards. _Voyager_'s shields should protect us from all the other Quarren weapons. We won't be able to lower shields for too long, but long enough I should think to beam our people aboard."

"What of your other work. Are we ready?"

Kaden moved over to the biobed where the Tarlinian captain, Borrell, lay unconscious. "It's quite fascinating, really," he said absently as he monitored some output on the screen. "The unique physiology of the Tarlinians was the key. They are resistant to the dysphoria treatment, this much I remember. But in studying it some more, I've isolated the neurochemical that is blocking the remapping of the memory intrarelations."

"How is Borrell?"

"He harbors a strong hostility towards me and a desire to do me harm," the Doctor commented, "but physically and mentally he's doing fine. I'm afraid I must request some security be present when he awakens from this final treatment."

Ayala nodded. "Lieutenant Sanghvi will make the arrangements. Bottom line doctor, can we protect ourselves from the memory tampering of the dysphoria treatment?"

Kaden smiled. "More than that, we can actually reverse previous memory manipulations. I've synthesized a drug that allows the hippocampus, or equivalent part of the specimen's brain, to manufacture the needed neurochemical. Within hours, all suppressed memories should be restored and implanted memories recalled as such. Tarlinians are a special case and will need hospitalization. It's quite remarkable actually."

"What do you mean?"

"Don't you see," Kaden replied. "Annika's vision. It led us to the one species that held the key to blocking and reversing the effects of the dysphoria treatment. It also led us to the missing _Voyager_ crew in the NorthernPrefecture. And, it has provided us a possible ally in Administrator Garrett. She's an amazing woman with extraordinary insight."

"Or perhaps it was a vision and message from the divine, as Joe and Natalie contend," Ojal offered.

Kaden shook his head. "No," he said in a whisper, and then more forcefully, "No, I don't believe in that. We are simply the result of billions of years of evolution, what molecules will do if given enough time. Annika has unique and a well developed intuition. Her dream was simply her subconscious expressing those insights."

Ojal smirked and Ayala turned to her. "Work with the doctor and coordinate the efforts. I want the entire crew inoculated, both for the radiation from the mines and for the dysphoria treatment blocker. As soon as that is complete, report back to the bridge and we will plan our return to Quarra to retrieve the Captain and his group."

"Yes sir," Ojal replied. Ayala nodded crisply, turned to the door and left.

Ojal then stepped up closer to Kaden. "How can I help doctor?"

Kaden looked distracted, as if something was weighing heavily on his mind. Ojal noticed for the first time that he was holding an isolinear chip in one of his hands and he was now turning it over with his fingers. "Lieutenant Ayala made no mention of my request."

"There is absolutely no way he would consent to you returning to Quarra to face your accusers. You can discuss it with the Captain when he returns."

"My presence on _Voyager_ puts you at greater risk and undermines your credibility."

"So be it," Ojal stated. "I'm afraid you're stuck with us."

Kaden nodded slowly and moved to a medical console and entered some commands. As he did so, he asked "How long will it take for the transporters to beam up Captain Chakotay's group when the time comes?"

"Not long at all," Ojal responded. "Ayala plans to make a low pass over the NorthernPrefecture. With the pattern enhancers in the Captain and his family, we should be able to beam up everyone within a twenty meter radius in just a few seconds."

"And so the shields will be down for just a few seconds?"

"Yes."

"Could I be informed here in sickbay of precisely when the shields are lowered?" Kaden asked. Ojal looked confused for a moment as to the reason, and Kaden added, "So I can monitor the effects of the radiation from the Quarren mines."

"Of course doctor. We'll patch in sickbay to the bridge through the comm when we make our pass."

Kaden appeared satisfied and picked up a tray beside the biobed. "I anticipated the Lieutenant and have almost completed synthesizing the required dosages for the crew." He motioned to the medical console in front of him. "They should be complete momentarily, and then you and I can start the inoculation process. I'd like to have just the two of us conduct the inoculations to maintain control of the drugs." He picked up one of the hyposprays. "These that are coded blue are for protection against the radiation induced by the Quarren mines. A single dose per day is all that is needed. The others that are coded red are for the dysphoria treatment block. Take care to only give a single dosage of that one, since any more would put the person at grave risk."

Ojal looked up concerned. "Explain."

"A single dosage will block the dysphoria treatment. A higher dose, however, will induce changes in the brain that would most likely lead to death if subsequently given the dysphoria treatment."

Ojal nodded. "Understood. I will start in engineering and work my way up to deck nine. You start on the bridge and work your way down to deck eight. We'll meet back here when finished."

"We will be ready to proceed in just a moment," Kaden said and returned to the medical console to continue monitoring the progress.

Something the doctor had said a few minutes before came back to Ojal's mind. "While we wait for the dosages, do you mind if I ask you a question?"

"Go right ahead."

"Do you really only believe we are simply a complex collection of molecules and nothing more?"

"Does that disturb you?"

"Not as such, but I wonder what has led you to this belief."

"It is not a belief, but fact. We _are_ simply a complex collection of molecules. Science provides the answers to all we seek. What more is needed? Sure, there is much still unexplained, but I have confidence we will eventually be able to shed light on these mysteries as well. For example, I was once troubled by the similarity of species from different worlds. Quarrens and Earthers and even Tarlinians. We are all too similar biologically to have evolved separately. And then, just the other day, I discovered in the Federation database the story of the Progenators; the first species to develop sentience in our Galaxy. They apparently seeded other worlds with their genetic code billions of years ago. And so, it now makes sense. Mystery solved by science."

"And so, there's nothing more to our existence." Ojal mused, not so much a question as a statement. "I have heard atheists mock those who believe in the supernatural, saying such faith is just wishful thinking."

"It is not my intention to mock the beliefs of others," Kaden said. "As for the supernatural and hoped for afterlife, the molecules that make us up will be redistributed back into the universe and recycled. Where you seem disquieted by that proposition, I'm more than happy to succumb to non-existence when the time comes."

"Oblivion," Ojal replied. "It is not my intention to mock as well, but I would counter it is as much wishful thinking as an after-life or reincarnation is to the believer. To not reap the consequences of your actions; to not face a judgment; these are comforting thoughts are they not?"

Kaden grunted, clearly not happy with the direction of the conversation. "You have yet to tell me what it is that you believe Lieutenant?"

Ojal thought carefully. "I am Hindu, doctor," she finally said. "An ancient religion from Earth. I had ignored it until recently. I've been giving it a great deal of thought lately, however, given our experiences on Quarra. I've concluded that I do believe there is something more, a soul, if you will, that animates us and all living creatures. Our souls live a multitude of lives, guided by karma, or our actions, works and deeds, whether for good or for evil, from one life to the next."

"Yes, Annika spoke to me of this Earth religion the other day."

Ojal recalled her conversation with Annika who must have relayed some of it to the doctor. She was pleased. "I understand the Quarrens have a similar belief."

"Indeed they do," Kaden replied grimly. Just then, the last of the dosages was completed and Kaden retrieved the hyposprays. "Here, there should be enough dosages on this tray for your half of the crew."

Ojal accepted the tray. Kaden looked preoccupied and unsettled to Ojal, so she decided not to pursue the conversation further and left sickbay for engineering.

#

Ayala entered Astrometrics to find Icheb talking to Administrator Garrett and his body guards. On the large Astrometrics view screen was a map of the Galaxy, with the position of Earth and Quarra identified and the boundaries of the Federation indicated by a light blue outline. The four of them turned to greet him.

"This is quite fascinating," Garrett said with a wide grin. "It was hard for me to believe your ship and crew have traveled such a large distance, but Icheb has shown me the extensive mapping you've done and hinted at the unique adventures you have had."

"Not exactly unique," Icheb remarked. "In fact, a number of vessels were extracted from the alpha quadrant and elsewhere by the Caretaker. It is possible several vessels are making their way back to the alpha quadrant, or other regions of the Galaxy. For example, Lieutenant Ayala was first officer on the _Val Jean_ and joined the _Voyager_ crew when the _Val Jean_ was destroyed at the Caretaker's array."

"I know," Garrett said, nodding his head in approval. "I've been reading through your database and looked through those early accounts. As I said, you all have had a fascinating time of it up to this point, haven't you? To think, completely isolated and cut off from your people."

"That is not entirely correct either," Icheb cut in again. "For a time before our Quarran captivity, we were in regular contact with Star Fleet command on Earth."

"In the alpha quadrant?" Garrett bellowed. "How is that possible?"

Icheb turned briefly to Ayala to see if the Lieutenant wished to answer, but knowing Ayala's penchant for using few words, he turned back to Administrator Garrett and his body guards. "Star Fleet, with their Project Pathfinder, used a particle beam projected at a quantum singularity to create a micro wormhole. The ends of this wormhole could be controlled, and although too small to allow for anything, including a transporter beam, it did allow two-way communication via subspace."

"Fascinating," Garrett replied. "How often could you communicate with your Star Fleet?"

"The micro wormholes were only stable for about eleven minutes, but the Midas Array was in the correct alignment about once per day."

"A quantum singularity. Natural or artificial?"

"Artificial," Icheb responded. "Originally, however, they did use a Class B itinerant pulsar for the same purpose."

"Ah," Garrett enthused. "Indeed. And you have been unable to reestablish communication?"

"Not yet," Ayala said, feeling it time to bring the conversation to a close. "The process requires an initiation from their end using the Midas array. We've been listening and waiting, but so far, we've heard nothing."

Garrett nodded thoughtfully. He was a seasoned diplomat and immediately understood that Ayala was getting ready to usher him out of Astrometrics and back to his quarters. He was, however, not quite ready to leave. "Lieutenant, we need to discuss our next move. Now that I see what is happening on Quarra, I can't stay here on _Voyager_. I must go and help my world."

"I understand administrator," Ayala replied. "I must insist, however, that our first priority is to retrieve Captain Chakotay and his group from the NorthernPrefecture. With the Captain and Commander Hansen returned to us, we can then start discussing our next move and the course ahead."

Garrett turned away, clearly frustrated. "Icheb," he said after a short time. "Put up Quarra on the display if you would."

Icheb moved over to a control station in Astrometrics and entered some commands. The map of the Galaxy showing the boundaries of Federation space and Quarra's location in the delta quadrant moved off to the side and was replaced by an image of a blue-green world. Ayala noted it looked very much like Earth; a beautiful world.

Garrett sighed. "My world needs me," he said. "There is a malignancy growing, and we must stop it. They will destroy in mere moments what generations have built up." He turned back to Ayala. "We are a good people, Lieutenant. Will _Voyager_ and her crew help me?"

"It is not for me to decide. When we retrieve the Captain, you may speak to him. In the meantime, I must ask you to return to your quarters. We will shortly make a foray into Quarren space and will undoubtedly meet resistance."

"They see you as a threat and have been told as much by the current government," Garrett warned. "They don't know what they're doing."

"I understand, administrator. We don't intend to fire on any of the vessels, only the mines and weapons they deploy. Our plan is to be quick, make a low pass over Quarra, and then retreat."

Administrator Garrett looked back to the image of his home planet, and then at the Galaxy as a whole as displayed on the map off to the side; one world among many. He began to wonder about Quarra's future.

#

The group was assembled in a clearing. Annika, Chakotay and their children separate from the others. The Sun had risen hours before, and they were now a dozen or more kilometers away from End. There was no sign of pursuit, although a column of smoke rose from the direction of End. Tom had speculated the worst, fearing their homes were now destroyed.

"Tom," Chakotay pleaded. "When _Voyager_ comes, we all need to be together. Please let us continue and go to the sanctuary to meet up with the others."

Tom shook his head. "I won't allow _Voyager_ to pinpoint the location of the sanctuary. When they do come, you all are free to go. We will go to our sanctuary once you're gone and hold out there."

Annika was sitting on the ground holding Ixchell with Robert asleep at her feet. With her free hand, she reached up and touched Chakotay on the shoulder who was sitting beside her. They were making no progress and she could hear the strain in her husband's voice. Annika happened to glance to B'Elanna and noticed the other woman studying her actions intently. It had been like that ever since their blindfolds had been removed when they reached this clearing at sunrise. B'Elanna's daughter, Miral, was beside her and both were sitting up against a tree on the opposite side of the clearing. Annika had thought all their arguments had fallen on deaf ears, and yet looking at B'Elanna now seemed to tell her otherwise. Perhaps there was still hope. As if to answer Annika unvoiced thoughts, B'Elanna suddenly stood and took a tentative step forward.

Tom, who had been pacing in the middle of the clearing stopped and turned. "B'Elanna?"

"I have this feeling," B'Elanna began. She looked again, directly at Annika. "We're making a mistake. We should trust them."

"No," Tom replied. "We hunker down and wait this out."

B'Elanna took another step forward with Miral now in tow, holding onto her mother's leg. "Look at them," she said. "They're not acting. They are truly husband and wife, despite what you think. They brought their family here to us. To find us. See how Annika cares for her daughter?"

Tom shrugged.

Ameila stood up from the log on which she had been sitting and stepped forward, apparently emboldened by B'Elanna's words, pulling up Harry behind her. "They are human, like most in our group. How many humans are there on Quarra?"

"We don't know if they're human or not," Tom retorted. "Chakotay first looked like a species I'm unfamiliar with, and the woman had cybernetic implants above her eye and on her hand. We don't know who or what they are."

Amelia shook her head. "Tom, I'm tired of hiding."

"It's true," Annika spoke up, and all eyes turned to her. "When you first met me, I was different. I was not the person I am today. When I was six, I was abducted by the Borg, and those cybernetic implants became part of me. I wasn't fully human, not then, not anymore." Annika tried to wrestle with her thoughts. Why was she saying this anyway? Ever since regaining all her memories, she couldn't shake a feeling of deep remorse. Guilt, perhaps, from the thought of all the worlds she helped the Borg assimilate. She had these feelings before, but for whatever reason, they were more acute now. She glanced to B'Elanna and caught the other woman's eyes. In a way, she felt a kinship with B'Elanna. Half-human and half-Klingon, B'Elanna always struggled to find her identity between the two, as Annika now struggled with her Borg past. Yet now, B'Elanna seemed so at peace with herself, just as Annika had before. "You have no reason to trust us, just as you had no reason to trust me Tom when I first came aboard _Voyager_. I was arrogant and upset, and as a Borg drone, I represented the very worst of one of the Federation's enemies. But out of everyone on the crew, you were one of the first to accept me."

"Doctor Kaden…," Harry began, but was cut off by Annika.

"I have forgiven Doctor Kaden. He was wrong for what he did, but I have forgiven him. I count him as one of my friends, and so if you wish to condemn him you must condemn me as well. It was only with Doctor Kaden's help that I was able to get rid of all that, to become who I am today."

"I have this feeling," B'Elanna said again and closed her eyes. "Tom, you have led us and protected us for a long time. I love you, and I know all you want is what's best for me and Miral. _You're_ daughter. What's best for all of us. But…I believe Annika. She's my… friend. I can't explain it, but I think we must trust them."

"Trust them?" Tom said incredulously. "On what grounds? Because of this feeling?" He sounded confused and desperate.

"Yes," B'Elanna stated calmly. She then nodded, as if making up her mind, and leaned down to Miral. "Go get the others sweetheart. Hurry."

Miral glanced at her father, but then bolted out of the clearing, not waiting for his reaction or reply. Annika realized they must be closer to the sanctuary than she and Chakotay thought.

Tom took a step after Miral, as if to catch her, but then stopped and turned to his wife. "B'Elanna," he pleaded. "What if you're wrong? How can you be certain?"

B'Elanna stepped up to her husband and placed her hands on his shoulders. "I can't. Life is filled with uncertainty. You can't plan everything and you can't know everything. Each day brings choices, and whether we know enough or not, we have to choose and shape our future. Sometimes, when you don't know, you just have to have faith."

#

"More power to the forward shields," Ayala shouted.

"They're trying to block our path," Ojal responded. "I think they realize we're unwilling to fire upon their vessels."

"Fine," Ayala retorted. "Let them bounce off our shields. How much longer until we reach periapse?"

Ojal consulted her display at the First Officer's station. "Sixty-two seconds and we will be over the NorthernPrefecture, just above the current coordinates of Captain Chakotay and his family. We now have a clear transmission to their location."

"Open a channel to the Captain and Commander Hansen," Ayala said.

"Channel open," the crewman at ops answered.

"Ayala to Chakotay, we are one minute away. Is your group ready?"

There was a momentary delay, but then the Captain's voice responded. "_Not giving us much warning Ayala, but we'll be ready. Will you be able to beam up everyone?_"

"Form a group, surrounding you and your family. Make sure everyone is within twenty meters from the center. We'll beam you all at once directly to the cargo bay."

"_Understood and standing by_."

There was a succession of explosions against the port shield that shook the ship.

"More mines," Ojal commented. "The radiation is intense."

"_We should be OK_," Kaden said, who was listening in over the comm system. "_Just let me know when the shields come down_."

"Thirty seconds," Ojal commented. She glanced up to see a Quarren vessel collide with the forward shields. It moved off to the starboard and sent them all lurching to the left. _Voyager_ itself was moved off course by the change in momentum.

"Compensate!" Ayala ordered.

Three more Quarren vessels were moving to intercept. Ayala gauged their distance and speed. "Ensign, make a quick move to port by ten degrees and then back again to our original heading."

The ensign who was piloting _Voyager_ carried out the orders flawlessly, and the three vessels missed the shields entirely and quickly fell behind into _Voyager_'s wake.

"Five seconds!" Ojal shouted.

"Disengage shields on my mark and transporters prepare to transport," Ayala shouted. He didn't wait for confirmation from either station, and then said "Mark!"

"Shields down!" the crewman at ops said.

Moments later, the transporter chief's voice came over the comm, "_We've got them sir_."

"Shields up and best speed to the nebula," Ayala said and leaned back in his chair. He looked over at Ojal with a smile, happy that the worst was over.

Ojal nodded back, and then engaged her comm badge. "Lieutenant Sanghvi to sickbay. Doctor, please proceed to the cargo bay immediately to treat the Captain and his group for radiation exposure and administer the dysphoria treatment block."

There was a delay, and then someone else responded. "Ojal? This is Borrell. In sickbay. I think you'd better come down here. Kaden is gone."

#

Sickbay was crowded. With Doctor Kaden gone, the Captain and his group went to sickbay directly instead to get the required treatment for radiation and were administered the correct dosage of the dysphoria treatment block as well. Fortunately, Borrell knew exactly what to do. Ayala remained on the bridge to direct the retreat into the nebula and evade pursuing forces while Ojal hurried down to investigate the doctor's disappearance.

Borrell looked up from a Quarren adolescent who was laying on the biobed and the last to receive the correct dosages. "In the short time after I awakened and before he left, he explained to me exactly what I was to do when you returned," Borrell said. "If I wasn't behind that force field, I would have throttled him where he stood."

Chakotay turned to Ojal who was examining one of the medical consoles. "Where did he go?"

Ojal punched a few more buttons shaking her head. "It appears he beamed down to a residential block in CapitalCity. He timed the transport to coincide with your transport up from the surface, masking the signature from the main control and somehow using that beam to penetrate the shield grid about Quarra; quite ingenious, actually."

"I saw the whole thing," Borrell commented. "The entire sequence must have been preprogrammed. When the shields came down, he pressed a button on that console where you're standing and immediately dematerialized. Simultaneously, the force field that was holding me in the quarantine section of sickbay was deactivated. He…" Borrell hesitated and shook his head.

Ojal stepped over to her friend. "What is it Borrell? Is there something more?"

Borrell shook his head again. "He said one last thing, as he was dematerializing. He said to me, 'I'm sorry.'"

#

Kaden opened his eyes. He was strapped into a device he immediately recognized – a dysphoria treatment chair. He didn't appear to be in a medical facility, however, because otherwise, the room was empty. White walls, white floor and white ceiling; antiseptic and terrifying. Presently a door, previously unnoticed, slide open and a man stepped through. He was dressed in a dark suit typical on Quarra and was obviously not a doctor.

"Doctor Kaden," the man said smoothly, although his voice gave Kaden a chill down his spine. "We didn't anticipate you coming, and yet here you are, surrendering to us, without so much as a struggle."

Kaden tried to shrug, but realized the restraints were too tight to allow him much movement.

"Why are you here?" the man queried.

"I'm here to face my accusers," Kaden replied defiantly. "To expose you if I can."

The man's thin smile curved more sharply at the corners. "Of course, you know that's not possible."

"I made my entrance to this facility quite public. No doubt there are many already gathering and demanding answers."

"Oh, they'll get answers. The answers we desire them to have. But first, I would like to get some answers myself." The man stepped forward into the room and walked behind the chair out of Kaden's view. At first Kaden thought he was going to activate the dysphoria treatment right then, but instead the man continued walking to the other side of the small room. "Where have you been doctor?" he eventually asked.

"On _Voyager_," Kaden replied. "I think you know that."

"Of course," the man chuckled. "I mean between the time you beamed down from _Voyager_ when it passed over Quarra and the time you surrendered at the CapitolCity medical facility."

Kaden smiled. "Nowhere, just making my way here."

The man shook his head sadly. "You will tell me all I want to know," he said absently. "I thought I'd make it… easier for you."

"What does the administrator want from me?" Kaden asked.

"The administrator?" the man laughed. "The administrator wants what we tell him to want. The administrator says what we want him to say. He's just a politician who looks good and sounds sincere."

"And so the administrator's memories have been manipulated as well?"

"Oh no, that wasn't necessary. He was easily manipulated and seduced by power alone, along with most of the rabble that follow him. Just as many of the informationists were seduced by fame and a perceived influence."

"I think you underestimate the Quarren people," Kaden remarked. "They won't be fooled so easily."

The man laughed again. "You are wrong. They have already being fooled. Much of the populous are being manipulated and seduced by the increases they're seeing in government benefits and services. They are becoming dependent and malleable. Your device has simply made it easier for us to clear the way and suppress opposition. We have complete control over Quarra now."

"Who? Who are you?"

"Does it matter?" the man said with a laugh, and then added more seriously, "what does matter is that I find out what you were up to for those six missing hours." He let his hand rest on one of the mechanisms attached to the seat. "We've made a few adjustments to your device, doctor," the man said ominously. "It's not quite as painless as before. Rest assured, however, you won't remember a thing."

#

Author's note: Thank you scifiromance, Alaster Boneman, Djsmith and Escape5 for your reviews of the last chapter. Still three more chapters, I'm thinking, to go. Please review.


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